VRSZ
by NewDreamer
Summary: With their Freelancers days behind them, Team VRSZ lives in the newly built Nexus where they help the town flourish in the harsh land of Vacuo. Brand new challenges await the team and those connected to them. Violet Tulipe, Remus Cobalt, Silver Synch, and Zelts Allister. The final installment of their story begins now.
1. Back in Action Part 1

**A/N: It's finally here! The next work for the OC team known as VRSZ. Speaking honestly, this story has progressed farther than I could've imagined. I don't think it would've gotten this far without the support and criticism of the readers. Writing this has become my favorite thing to do. I would like to say thank you and hope you all continue to enjoy Team VRSZ in this new addition to their story.**

* * *

In the western region of Samus was Vacuo, a harsh land comprised mostly of desert. This place, where the fourth kingdom was located, was known to be unforgiving and relentless. It was not the place for many looking to live peaceful lives, but it did serve as the perfect setting for the brave and the bold, along with thrill seekers, and even those with nefarious intent. However, legends in Vacuo were very few and hard to come by. People, buildings, and heroic feats came and went with the shifting sands: a common saying in this part of Remnant.

In one particular Vacuo settlement named Nexus lived a certain group of people. They were once known around Vacuo as Freelancers, but that chapter of their lives has ended. Now, they went by their official name: Team VRSZ. The group of four that were once mercenaries now worked to help Nexus, their new home, prosper. At this moment, the team wasn't doing anything to help the growing settlement thrive. Rather, they were focusing on improving themselves.

 **Setting: Team VRSZ Duplex**

"Erk! Ugh! Gah!" A series of pounding sounds were heard and coupled with the groaning of a certain gunslinger.

Silver fell to the ground, landing on his backside, with a slightly frustrated face. He wasn't wearing his usual outfit. Instead, he wore a simple white undershirt and black sweatpants. On his brow was the trace of sweat and a drop trailed down to his right eye. He wiped it away then found an open hand in front of him. It was smaller than his but was just as rough. He silently took the hand that helped him back on his feet. The person hoisting Silver was Violet, who had a smile on her face that formed from a sense of pride.

Just like Silver, she was wearing something other than her usual outfit. She had on a light purple tank-top with a dark purple, sports bra beneath, visible from the sides and a pair of black shorts. The majority of the scars on her body were visible. Most were faint and not eye-catching, but they still noticeable. None of them bothered Violet. She had no problem having people look at them. They were proof of the hardships she endured.

"You know you can ease up a bit when you hit me. We're just sparring after all," Silver sort of snapped at the leader of VRSZ.

She chuckled to herself when she heard his complaint. "If I went easy on you, you wouldn't learn anything."

The two members of VRSZ were in their new home in Nexus. They were currently in the large room in the back of the house. Its original purpose was to be a recreational room, but the team decided it was spacious enough to be used for training instead. The floor was made out of wood along with the walls. It was the only room in the house made out of one material. There were two windows that gave people a view of the back of the house, but there was nothing to see except the buildings on the other side of their home. If anything, the windows helped ventilate the room.

"Why am I the only one doing this? Shouldn't Remus and Zelts suffer too?" Silver asked his sparring partner.

"Because you're a weapon specialist. You don't do a lot of hand-to-hand combat, so we'll be training to change that. As for your other question, Remus and Zelts already know how to fight with and without their weapons. You're the odd man out," Violet answered. There was no teasing or trickery in her explanation. She was being honest.

"Seems to me you're using this as an excuse to smack me around."

Violet chuckled a little. "Well, there are some _benefits_ to training you." Her sweet tone earned a leer from Silver. "And don't worry. You won't be the only one I'll be training." Silver didn't know what she meant by that. Who else was there for her to spar with? Zelts, maybe?

Answering his question, Clair de Lune Vantablack stepped into the training room in relaxed fitness clothing. The enchanting Vantablack had on a black tank-top with a black bra beneath. Her attire was quite similar to Violet's, though her chest was bigger and more attention-grabbing than Violet's. She had on light grey yoga pants. Even though she was dressed to exercise, her curvaceous figure was still bewitching, if not more so than usual. Her attractive appearance didn't go unnoticed by Violet or Silver. Both of them stared at Clair for a few seconds before breaking their line of sight or blinking.

"You guys started without me?" Clair said, in a playful, childish tone to display she was upset, but she really wasn't.

"Wouldn't be a problem if a certain someone didn't sleep past the agreed time," Violet retorted, humorously.

Clair smirked at her because Violet was right. She came to Clair's room to wake her, but the older girl asked for ten more minutes of sleep. She slept for half an hour while the other two trained without her.

"That's perfectly fine!" Silver interjected, "Since you're here, why don't you take over for me. You know, to catch up?" _"And I can take a break,"_

His reason for swapping places with Clair was not lost on Violet. Skipping training wasn't something she would allow, but for now, she was going to let him get the rest he desired. He was going to need it for what she had planned for him.

"Hmm…go ahead and take a breather, Silver," Violet responded, and Silver looked at her curiously.

"Really? You mean it?" Silver asked for confirmation. _"There's gotta be an angle. Why is she letting me off so easily?"_ Silver has known Violet long enough to know this was more than it seemed.

"If you don't want to rest, I can work with both you simultaneously."

"No! No, that's perfectly fine! I'll just sit here and relax," Silver said, grateful he got out of being Violet's punching bag.

He walked to the wall next to the training room's door and sat down. Violet was glad to see Silver believe he weaseled his way out of training. He was completely unaware of the pain that was coming his way.

"Okay, Clair. We're going to go through the basics; fighting stance and one-two punching." Violet moved her attention to Clair, who stood in the middle of the room with her.

"I know some of this already. Sterling taught me how to defend myself when I was younger and he taught me how to fight with his pen sword," Clair informed.

"That's good," Violet said, "We can skip basics and you can show me what you can do. Once I get a sense of what you can do, I'll know how to proceed with your training."

"Fine by me. Let's go." Clair got into a basic fighting stance and Violet got in her own.

Silver watched intently. He has never seen Clair fight. Violet told him about the time she fought beside the former monarch and that made him very curious. Now, he was about to witness her fight, Violet.

Clair attacked first with a punch aimed at Violet's face and Violet easily evaded it by pushing Clair's arm aside to avoid the punch. Violet stepped into Clair's space to deliver a punch of her own, but Clair was able to block it with her other arm, hitting it instead of her shoulder. The enchanting Vantablack raised her foot to stomp on Violet's to pin her, but Violet saw it coming and moved. Violet lifted her foot for a kick and Clair copied her. Both girls hit each other's side with a kick, though Violet's kick was faster and stronger and Clair's had some good strength behind it. Violet realized Clair's form and fundamentals were good.

The two continued to exchange blows and Silver could see Clair was more proficient in fighting then she thought. He wasn't expecting this. He also wasn't expecting the door to the training room open with three people he didn't expect to walk in. Entering the training room was Bianca, Ghost, and Azura. Today was full of surprises for Silver.

"Slacking already?" Ghost said to Silver when he noticed him on the floor.

"What are you guys doing here?" Silver asked.

"We're here to help you guys train," Bianca answered, "Violet asked and Lady Clair insisted."

"Stop calling me 'Lady' Clair," she called, in the midst of her sparring match with Violet, "I'm not a monarch anymore."

"I doubt that's going to change," Ghost added, nonchalantly. He knew his half-sister very well.

"Uh, it might be a bit overkill if you guys are helping me and Clair train," Silver stated.

Violet asked Clair to put their sparring match on hold so she could inform her teammate of the situation. "I can't give you and Clair the attention you need, so I asked Bianca and Azura to lend a hand. They'll be helping you too."

"…Wait. What about me?" Ghost asked. Violet didn't mention his name.

"Actually," Azura chimed in with a devilish sneer, "we thought it was a good idea to make you train too."

Ghost's usually neutral, stoic face quickly changed to surprise. He turned to his sister who looked at him with no guilt in her eyes. She had no problem fooling him to come here.

"Why do I have to do this?" Ghost asked.

"You cut and run in fights," Azura stated, quickly and curtly. Ghost eyed the female Cobalt and Bianca knew she needed to diffuse the situation.

"She means you rely on your semblance a lot, so it would be better for you to learn to fight without it," Bianca said, in a kinder tone.

"Argh!" Silver groaned from being tricked. He wasn't going to say no. He couldn't. Clair was still his boss and she wanted him here. "Fine. What do I have to do?"

"You and Silver will have a partner to help you train," Violet informed them. "I'm already working with Clair-"

"I call Bianca!" Silver shouted, raising his hand to emphasize his point.

"Sorry, Silvester, but I'm gonna work with my brother personally," Bianca told her boyfriend.

"Why?" Silver whined.

"Because I'll be soft with either of you and Ghost needs a little more help than you do. In a positive way, you could say this is a testament to your strength."

"Are you calling me weak?" Ghost felt offended.

"I'm not saying that. Silver just has a better understanding of hand-to-hand combat than you do. I'm better at close combat than he is anyway. Silver's a better sharpshooter but I'm more well-rounded. So, let me teach you. Please, brother?" Bianca asked in a sweet manner.

Ghost sighed then said, "Well, being instructed by you is better than the alternative. Let's do this thing." The half-siblings began their training session on the left side of the room.

"What about me?" Silver said, desperately, watching everyone else training until he felt someone tap his shoulder.

Beside him was Azura, who looked very enthusiastic. "Hello, I'm the alternative," she said in a kind, threatening tone if that was even possible.

With what time they spent together in Atlas and in Nexus, Silver learned a lot about Remus' cousin. She was aggressive, ruthless, cutthroat, and scary. He could admit that Azura was someone he was considered scary. And, she was a Cobalt, just like Remus. She enjoyed fighting just as much as his teammate and he feared that part of her would show in this training regimen.

She grabbed Silver by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the right side of the training room. "Better be ready. You won't be able to walk when I'm through with you."

Her words were terrifying to the gunman. He got the worst person to be his instructor. Forget instructor, Azura was a drill sergeant. Silver was beginning to wail and moan, making crying sounds without actually crying. He didn't want to train anymore.

"Zelts! Remus! Help me!" he shouted. His friends didn't come to save him.

 **Setting: Onyx Workshop**

Remus and Zelts were nowhere close to hear Silver's pleas. They were in Onyx's workshop where Remus was informing his faunus friend how his new weapon, Delta, was performing. Zelts tagged along because he planned to go to the bazaar of Nexus afterward to see what they had, but not purchase. Despite receiving a new home, the team had little to no Lien to their name. Clair offered to loan them money, but Violet refused. She knew her team would get back on its feet once Clair and the other higher-ups of Nexus hire them for jobs, and that time was just on the horizon. For now, the team was getting ready to get back into the action.

In his workshop, Onyx examined Delta on a metal table. He had a magnifying glass in his hand and was using it to scan the large, mechanical sword. He had other tools at his side just in case some tweaking was necessary, but he didn't see anything that needed his attention, not that he expected to see any after just two weeks of inventing it.

Onyx weasel tail swayed back and forth as he inspected Delta. Behind him were Remus and Zelts. Remus stood close to Onyx just in case he was asked a question and Zelts was further behind his Cobalt friend, watching while leaning against the wall.

"Are there any problems? It doesn't look like there's anything wrong here," Onyx asked Remus, taking his eyes of Delta after looking at it for ten minutes straight.

"No. I just wanted to make sure before we get ready for our first mission," Remus answered.

"Have you used Delta in battle yet? How did it go? Was it easy or hard to wield?" Onyx asked several questions. He really wanted to know how his invention performed.

"It's great! I've been practicing with it every day since you gave it to me. I've only been in one real fight with it and I've been getting better ever since. Delta's amazing!"

It was true. Zelts has witnessed Remus practice handling that sword everyday and the different forms it possessed. He could say Remus really made Delta his own in a short span of time, which was expected from someone so battle-oriented.

"Pst! Hey!"

Zelts heard a whispered voice call to him and he looked around. He stood near the door of Onyx's tinkering room and noticed someone was on the other side. Peeking through the door was the third Vantablack of Nexus, Periwinkle Copper Vantablack, who preferred to be called C.P. Clair told the team C.P. was living here with Onyx since he had no money and the wealth she once had was limited. She also told them that he's been going around Nexus doing various jobs to earn more Lien for himself. He wanted to live in luxury once more.

"Um…can I help you?" Zelts asked, not sure what C.P. wanted with him.

"You want to invest in a dust farm?" C.P. asked.

"What?" Zelts had no idea what a dust farm was.

"A place where they plant and grow dust. If you invest in one, you can grow your own supply of dust. You'll be set for life. An unlimited amount of dust for a measly two thousand Lien. You want in?"

You can't grow or plant dust. Zelts could see this was obviously a scam. A bad one at that. "No, thank you," he said, as polite as he could. Zelts wasn't too fond of C.P. and his lecherous, self-absorbed attitude.

"Come on. If you don't want that, how about buying an experimental laser cannon. It packs a real punch and you guys like to fight, right? You'll love it!"

"C.P.! Knock it off!" Onyx shouted from his seat.

"Argh…" C.P. groaned before retreating from the door.

"Sorry about that. He's been trying a lot of 'get rich quick' schemes to make Lien. It's getting ridiculous."

"As long as he's not doing anything dangerous, then it's not a problem," Zelts said.

"I hope he finds a real job and sticks with it," Onyx stated.

The faunus Vantablack picked up Delta and handed the bastard sword back to its owner. "Everything's fine."

Remus grabbed the handle of his sword and placed it on his back, attaching it to the magnetic plate to hold it in place. "Thanks."

"No problem. See you guys, and don't buy the fountain of youth water C.P.'s going to offer you when you leave."

Zelts and Remus left Onyx's Workshop to browse the bazaar and trading district in the east. Just like Onyx said, C.P. appeared before them and tried to sell them more stuff.

 **Setting: Team VRSZ Duplex**

An hour and a half later and inside the VRSZ's home, the training session finally came to an end. Violet and Bianca were sweating lightly while Azura didn't have a drop or show any sign of fatigue. The same couldn't be said for the others. Ghost was sitting on the ground, sweating profusely and breathing deeply. Clair was doing better since she was still on her feet, though she was sweating a lot, her face said she could do more. On the other end of the spectrum, Silver was spread-eagled on the floor, wheezing, sweating, and in pain. Azura didn't hold back in her training with the poor gunman.

"Aaaaahhhhh…" was all Silver could say.

Azura stretched her arms while watching him and she said, "Stop your bitching. You did better than I thought you would. Take a shower. You've earned it."

"Aaaaaaahhhh…" was Silver's response.

"Don't worry about him," Violet told Azura, "I'll get him back on his feet. Thanks for your help today. Same thing the day after tomorrow?"

"I'm game," Azura answered.

"Same. Ghost needs this. And it was fun," Bianca said. Ghost didn't say anything but lifted his hand and gave her the thumbs up.

"I can't wait to do this again. Next time let's practice with our weapons," Clair said with a cheerful grin.

"Sure," Violet responded. She moved to help Silver off the floor while everyone else left the room and their home, except Clair, who stayed in the training room. She heard her scroll chime and she checked it.

Violet had Silver over her shoulders and was ready to lug him to his room. He did good work and she planned on rewarding him by letting him sleep the rest for the day. She half expected him to quit, but was surprised and glad he stuck with it. Violet noticed Clair was still in the room with her.

"You're still here? I thought you already left to shower."

"I just got a text from one of the members of Nexus' council. Looks like Team VRSZ will be getting their first mission tomorrow."

Violet kept her eyes on Clair to see if she was serious and she nodded.

"What's the mission?" Violet asked, unable to hide the enthusiasm in her voice. A smile grew on her face.

Violet was ready to back into the field. The whole team has been preparing for this day. Working tirelessly to function better as a unit after finally being reunited. For the past two weeks, Violet taught the others how to respond to hand signals for better team coordination. It's something she thought of while in Atlas and the boys agreed. Violet shouting out their names would be too obvious for their enemies. Right now, they only got a few signals down and they mostly involved their team attacks and a few issues: retreat, regroup, and attack. She felt confident in Team VRSZ's ability to help Nexus grow.

Team VRSZ was ready to get back into the world of Remnant.

* * *

 **The team has grown and changed so much since they've been together. When the story began, Violet's character was more serious and uncompromising, mostly because she became part of a team with total strangers and she used to be a loner. But as the story progressed, she learned to let down her walls thanks to her team. Now, Violet's very open, friendlier, and says what's on her mind to anyone. This transition happened gradually throughout the story.**

 **Silver has changed significantly as well. When he first appeared in Origins, he was a jerk. A self-centered, obnoxious, devil-may-care character who seemed like a bit of a know it all. He had a testy relationship with the team, but that isn't the case anymore. After years of being together, Silver has grown to be a better person. He isn't as selfish as he used to be, he cares for the well-being of his friends, and he is more laid-back. He uses his criminal background to benefit the team rather than hinder them.**

 **The relationship between Violet and Silver has changed dramatically. The two of them used to fight and argue a lot in the early days, but now they're like siblings. They still fight, but it's more humorous and less heated. They make fun of each other and have the other's back when they need help. Violet and Silver have deep respect for one another.**

 **Team VRSZ Themes**

 **Violet: Survivor by 2WEI**

 **Remus: Jet Set Run from My Hero Academia**

 **Silver: Renegade by TYERecords**

 **Zelts: Knight of the Wind by Crush 40**


	2. Back in Action Part 2

**Setting: Nexus Council Building**

Today was the day. Team VRSZ were about to receive their first mission from the Nexus Council. Clair was escorting the team to the council building where they would meet with the person who requested this mission.

Nexus differs greatly from Fortuna. The settlement isn't ruled by a single person, but a group of people. The council consisted of five people. Four of them were representatives from the allied settlements that helped create Nexus. The fifth person was Clair, though she was called upon for different roles like settling ties or voicing her opinion. Despite not ruling Nexus, she was still seen as the founder and someone who should be consulted over things that affected her town.

One of the representatives was someone the team, specifically Violet, already knew. Her name was Carmine and she was from Virago. Violet may have remembered her from their first official mission as Freelancers, but she doubted Carmine would after only one brief moment together. And she wasn't the one who called them. The representative the team was going to meet was from Nova, one of the newest settlements to be erected in Vacuo. Nova came to be a month ago and Clair asked them to ally with Nexus so they could help one another survive.

The inside of the council building was quite practical. It wasn't as elaborate as Concordia, but it served its purpose as being the governmental body of Nexus. Clair took the team to the third floor where the offices of the representatives were found. They were in front of the door leading to the office of Nova's representative. Clair knocked on the door to let their client know they were here.

"Come in," a muffled, masculine voice answered.

Clair opened the door and walked in. Violet and the others followed after her. The office space was much more spacious than anyone on the team expected. It was large enough for eight people to stand inside without feeling cramped. The room was rather cozy which was odd for an office space. It had something all other rooms in Vacuo lacked; warmth. It was purposely warm thanks to a small pit filled with burning coal on the right side of the room. There were a few chairs surrounding the coal pit so people could enjoy the heat and around the room were several artistic items. Near the back wall of the room was the office desk which was very elaborate in design with an assortment of fire dust crystals on top. Sitting at the desk was the representative of Nova, writing on a document.

"Solis. Team VRSZ is here," Clair informed him, in a pleasant sing-song voice.

Solis looked up and everyone got a good look at him. He wasn't what they expected of a representative. He was younger than they thought. He appeared to be in his mid to late twenties. His skin was dark like Remus' but his eyes were the deep, rich brown. He had scruffy, dark brown hair that reached down to his chin. He was dressed in red robes with gold trims. He was very handsome and the smile he flashed seemed to brighten the room. Silver felt like he couldn't look at Solis directly.

"I'm glad I can finally meet you all in person," Solis said as he rose from his seat. He walked around his desk to the team and raised his hand to shake theirs. "Clair told us all about you guys. It's an honor to meet you all."

The first to shake his hand was Violet as the leader of the team. "Likewise. It's nice to finally meet."

Solis shook everyone on the team's hand and greeted them warmly. He was a surprisingly nice person. Solis' bright disposition made Zelts and Silver wonder what kind of mission he needed them to take. He returned to his office desk and sat down.

"I need your help… Rather, Nova needs your help," Solis said, a bit ashamed. "It's being raided by marauders."

Silver didn't understand the problem so he voiced his concern. "That sounds like something the guards can handle. Half of them are Clair's old task force and the other half are warriors from Virago. I doubt there's any real group who could give them trouble."

"Ordinarily, I'd agree with you, but the main problem is the organization of the raiding. They've been coming in droves. One group tries to attack, the guards fend them off, then another group comes several minutes later, and so on. It's become a battle of attrition and the guards are beginning to lose. And the constant attacks are taxing on our citizens and that negativity will eventually attract Grimm."

"…I don't know if that'll change if we join and help," Remus stated.

"I don't think he's asking us to fight with the guards," Zelts corrected his friend.

"That's right. Even if you fought beside them, it wouldn't stop the marauders from coming in droves," Solis said.

"A group of people operating like that has a stronghold somewhere. We take that down, the band of thieves will scurry away, right?" Violet summarized then looked to Solis for confirmation.

The man smiled at Violet, pleased with her intelligence, then nodded. "Yes. That's what I need to be done. Taking down their base will destroy them completely. I'm happy to learn Clair's praise for you wasn't just flattery."

Solis' compliment sounded like it could be for the team, but it was directed at Violet. He gazed at her with smitten, dark brown eyes. Clair noticed this and smothered her giggle.

"Can I count on you to accept this mission and free my home from these ruffians?" Solis asked, again, at the Violent Flower of VRSZ.

"Team VRSZ will make sure this mission is completed. You can count on us," Violet responded professionally.

She was already aware Solis liked her. Unfortunately for Solis, she had no desire to explore it any further. Despite how handsome and how nice he was, she didn't feel anything.

Solis sighed happily when she spoke. It was obvious to everyone that he grew enamored with Violet. Even Remus picked up on it. The boy has been doing better to understand the situations and social ques around him, like Solis liking Violet. He was not pleased. Remus didn't say or do anything at that moment, but he was fretting a little bit.

Clair coughed to get Solis' attention while also ushering the team out of his office. "I'll be sure to let them know where Nova is located. They'll get the job done."

"Oh, Clair. May I have a word with you alone?" Solis asked.

Clair closed the door to his office once everyone else left then asked, "Yes?"

"Is Violet…seeing someone?"

"…No," Clair replied playfully.

Solis' face beamed before he held his excitement back. "Do you believe she'd go to dinner with me if I asked?"

Clair already knew the answer. Violet wouldn't be interested. She knew Solis. He was a great guy but was not the type of person Violet would want as a partner.

"I think it's best if the relationship between VRSZ and the representatives of Nexus remained professional. It'd be bad if personal feelings created friction between the groups. We need them at their best," Clair stated.

"Hmm…you're right. Perhaps, someday, I can escort her on a lovely night and we can view the starry night sky," Solis said, imagining the date in his head.

"As long as it's in your head, dream all you want. I need to tell VRSZ where to go to get to Nova," Clair said before leaving Solis' office.

The man sighed once more, thinking about how pretty Violet was.

 **Setting: Desert**

With Clair's guidance, Team VRSZ drove their hovercar, Fantasia, to Nova, which was west of Nexus and only an hour away. In the car was the team, but the person driving was the least likely to get behind the wheel. Remus Cobalt was driving the hovercar and he was doing so competently. Violet, Silver, Zelts, and even Clair tried to teach him how to drive a car, but every attempt ended in failure. In the few weeks, the team was in Nexus, he asked to try to drive their new vehicle, but no one wanted to go. To their great surprise, Remus was able to pilot the hovercar perfectly. No one understood why. Even now, none of them knew why.

"Was it the wheels?" Zelts asked Remus from the passenger's seat. "Were the wheels messing you up?"

Remus thought about it and wondered himself. "Maybe. It's easier than the old Fantasia."

Zelts just watched his friend drive, all while he kept asking himself 'how' in his head.

Silver and Violet were in the back, waiting to arrive in Solis. The gunslinger glanced at his female friend for some time. Every time he did, he had a goofy sneer that Violet couldn't ignore.

"What?" she asked roughly.

"That Solis guy has a thing for you." Silver's statement caught Remus' ear. He couldn't turn to see them, so he settled for listening with his eyes front.

"So, what?" Violet responded.

"No interest? He seems nice."

"None," Violet said, ending the conversation. Remus was relieved to know Violet didn't reciprocate Solis's feelings and continued driving.

 **Setting: Nova**

Team VRSZ has finally arrived in Nova. The settlement was smaller than Nexus, which was to be expected, and the buildings weren't very grand either. Most of them were one-story at the most. They were small and made from scraps of metal. There were also buildings in the middle of construction, showing Nexus was helping Nova grow.

Besides the buildings, there was only one other thing that stood out and that was a massive red crystal placed in the center of the town. It was taller than all the other structures in Nova. The heat it radiated could be felt all over, meaning this was a fire dust crystal. Vacuo was known for having the largest amount of dust in Remnant, but a crystal to grow this large was unheard of. The team guessed this might be what drew the marauders here in the first place. It was definitely the rarest of rare items.

"So, where do we start?" Silver asked, which was followed by the sound of gunfire from a distance.

"There's your answer," Zelts replied.

"Let's go," Violet ordered the team and they drove the hovercar to the direction the gunshot was heard.

On the far outskirts of Nova, a battle was taking place. A large group of town's guards, consisting of Nexus' guards and female warriors from Virago, was fending off a band of brigands that were equipped with scrap metal armor and crude weapons.

The bandits had the numbers, but the guards were better equipped and better coordinated. However, the battle was evenly matched with the flow being in the bandits' favor. They were coming in waves, so the team couldn't tell how many have already arrived. The guards were beginning to wane, but they did their best to prevent the bandits from entering Nova. The bandits and the guards weren't the only parties participating in the fight. It was as Solis feared, the Grimm were here as well, attacking both the guards and the bandits. It was a three-way battle that was gradually approaching the settlement.

Remus parked the Fantasia on the outskirts of town with the battle a meter in front of them. Everyone had their weapons in hand and their minds clear. They were ready to go to work.

"What's the word, Vi," Zelts asked Violet. He lifted Heart of Gold in his right hand.

"Take out the Grimm, assist the guards, force the enemy to retreat. We'll follow them to their stronghold and take them all down."

"Perfect," Silver responded while twirling Fenrir around his fingers. "Been waiting to get back in the game."

"Ready when you are," Remus said to Violet, gripping the handle of his sword behind his back.

Violet reached into her waist bag full of Enigmas and pulled out several. It felt so good to be back in action. This feeling was shared between everyone in Team VRSZ. They've been practicing and training for two weeks, but it's been a long time since the team fought together as one. The opportunity to do it like the old days sent electricity running through their bodies. They were ready to fight together again.

"Remember boys; stronger together," Violet said then flashed two hand signals.

With her words and silent orders, the team dispatched and rushed into the fray of battle. They did as Violet instructed and moved to eliminate the Grimm first then attack the bandits.

Zelts ran towards a Deathstalker attacking a few guards. Silver followed behind and leaped onto his shoulders. He fired several rounds at the large scorpion, injuring it and drawing its attention away from the two guards it was fighting. The Grimm faced Silver after being hit by his barrage and was ready to skewer him once he got close. Zelts slowed his pace and Silver jumped off his shoulders and landed in front of him then grabbed Zelts' arm. Silver quickly activated Gravity to make Zelts lighter then quickly spun him around by his arm then hurled his friend at the Deathstalker.

The two performed Starfall at ground level. Zelts held his shield up as the soared straight to the Grimm and the Grimm tried to grab him out of the air. But Zelts' weapon blocked and broke through the monster's appendage, right into its bone covered face, breaking the bone plating and killing the Deathstalker in one shot. He landed on top of the dead Grimm's body then jumped off before it vanished in a cloud of darkness.

"That felt good," Zelts admitted aloud.

"Let's keep it going," Silver said as he ran past Zelts to continue fighting. Zelts followed after.

On the other side of the battle, Remus was rushing though the area with Delta in hand. He ran toward as many Grimm as he could find and cut them down with his sword. He aimed for the horde of smaller Grimm like the Creepers and Beowulfs so he could eliminate them with one swing. He ran through about a dozen in his area. While Remus took care of the Grimm, Violet threw her Cheshire's Enigmas at the marauders. Using the different types of throwing knives, Violet froze some, electrocuted others, and blew the rest away with small gales of wind.

The group of bandits wielding assault rifles began to give Violet their attention and they moved to her position. About nine came to overwhelm her, but Violet vanished from their sight in a cloak of tulip petals. The marauders stopped running, confused about their enemy disappearing until one of them was struck in the face by an invisible Violet. She kicked him in the gut then elbowed him in the neck until he was down. The other eight were a little frightened and were about to unleash a hailstorm of gunfire until Remus came sprinting down. He ran through them all, hitting them with enough force to knock them into the air before they landing on the ground.

Violet and Remus were performing Cloak and Dagger. Remus ran towards two enemies and kicked them both in the face at the same time. When he landed on the ground, he split Delta into two swords and started attacking any bandits in his way. While Remus did his job of fighting and drawing everyone's attention, Violet was still invisible and quickly taking down unexpected opponents with quick blows. They were able to work together with this variation of their team attack.

The fast assistance of Team VRSZ helped shift the tide of battle. The guards were able to fight off the marauders without worrying about Grimm. Zelts split Heart of Gold into wingblades and swung them to create a gust of wind that was strong enough to knock another Deathstalker off its feet and have it land near more bandits. The Grimm flailed around to get its bearings and his rampage scared the remaining bandits. They called for a retreat and they all ran away.

Violet threw six Enigmas with fire dust at the Deathstalker and they exploded on impact, killing the monster as it faded away. Remus was already by her side with his sword in hand, just in case, any bandits tried to fight again. Silver and Zelts joined them now that the battle was over.

"Looks like our plan was a success," Silver commented.

He and the others watched as the guards cheered in victory. This win was needed. It would boost not just their morale, but the citizens of Nova as well. It would keep the Grimm away.

"We can't celebrate yet. We still got a job to do. Head back to the Fantasia. We'll tail them from a distance and end it there," Violet told her team.

 **Setting: Desert**

The bandits were returning to base after their failed assault on Nova while Team VRSZ were following them from a far distance. None of the bandits would be able to see them or the hovercar, but it wasn't for the team. Remus' bionic eye zoomed in on the group and he made sure not to lose sight of them. Silver drove the Fantasia while Violet and Zelts were in the back.

"Did they stop yet?" Zelts asked.

"Hmm… I think they're about to," Remus answered.

"Where?" Violet asked.

"It looks like some kind of cavern or something. There's a small spring next to it and there seem to be more people around."

"That's the place," Silver remarked.

"Let's get closer before we stop. We'll move in and take them all out," Violet told them.

Silver stopped the hovercar and everyone got out. Violet pulled out a few of her throwing knives and handed them to Zelts. Her plan was for her and Zelts to enter the building undetected using her Invisibility. After sneaking in, Zelts would use all his strength to create a tornado within the stronghold, destroying the base and scattering the enemy. The knives she gave him were for him to absorb the dust out of them with Conversion to increase his destructive force. Once that was done, everyone would take out all remaining bandits.

"Come on, Zelts. Let's-" Violet stopped when she and the others felt the ground rumble followed by the sound of an explosion.

"Um, what was that?" Silver asked.

Remus looked in the direction it came from and noticed something wrong with the bandit stronghold; it was no more. The large cave den was gone or perhaps 'destroyed' was the better word. For some reason, a large, spire of stone stood were the cavern was and the remains of the cavern were scattered around it, including the bandits inside.

"Something happened. The bandits' base is destroyed and there's a…small mountain and… Uh. I'm not sure what's going on." Remus tried to explain the situation but he didn't know how.

The earth spire was seen by everyone but nothing else.

"We're moving in," Violet told the others. They needed to see what was going on.

Team VRSZ ran towards the destroyed stronghold where a lot of the bandits were fleeing in different directions. This was the result the team wanted for their mission to be a success, and it was, but they also want to know what caused it. Some of the bandits remained where their base once stood and they seemed to be fighting.

Stone and earth erupted and moved across the desert. Metal cables were extended and whipping bandits. Metal, bee drones were flying around and bombs were exploding were the bandits stood. The adversaries demolishing the bandits were a familiar group to VRSZ.

Cerise Sanguine, Loden Take, Sapphire Velum, and Hazel Vespid; the former juniors of VRSZ and official students of Shade Academy. Team CLSH wiped out the enemy.

* * *

 **Solis is a Spanish name meaning sun. The sun also defines his personality. Solis is a bright and warm person who always sees the best of any situation. He is a truly nice guy.**

 **Nova is Latin for new, fitting its role as a new settlement. In astronomy, a nova is a star releasing energy and shining brightly. The large dust crystal is the bright light of the town.**

 **The stronghold the bandits were stationed in was actually Grayson's old base before taking over Fortuna and calling it the City of Thieves.**

 **As the youngest member of the team, Remus has grown physically and mentally in the series. He grew from an emotionless boy to a young man full of emotions and thoughts he likes to share with others. He was very battle-oriented when the story first started, but that changed when he learned about Remnant and started learning new things. Remus isn't obsessed with battle anymore, but he still enjoys it. His dynamic with the team hasn't changed much but he has matured with them. Remus has grown to really like Violet and he is somewhat wiser to Silver's pranks and tricks. His relationship with Zelts hasn't changed a lot on his side, but Zelts views Remus as someone who can finally stand on his own and he doesn't need to protect him like he used to.**

 **Zelts' character has been mature throughout the series. He's the oldest and has been through a lot of hardships in his backstory. He learns to open up about those times with the team and rely on them. He was the first to see VRSZ as a family. Violet was the first person he spoke to about his past and the two are each other's, emotional confidants. Zelts and Violet compliment each other well. He appreciates her smarts and she appreciates his wisdom. Silver is like a younger brother to Zelts and he helped Zelts learn to let loose everyone once in a while. Zelts was the strongest member of the team when the story started and he knew this. Now, Zelts can see the others stand on equal footing with him so he doesn't have to keep an eye on them in battle. Zelts has watched Remus grow and sees him as a young adult instead of a kid.**


	3. Juniors No More

**Setting: Desert**

Violet, Remus, Silver, and Zelts watched the four girls in awe. All the members of Team CLSH were completely different than the last time the team saw them, in both appearance and experience.

Cerise Sanguine was the leader of the team, yet had the most child-like appearance, but she didn't look like a child anymore. She had short pinkish-red hair before, but it was longer now, reminding the others of her first hairstyle. Her hair went down to her shoulders. She wore a short-sleeved crop top that was dark red and beneath that was a sleeveless pink shirt. She had a waist bag full of her Runaway cherry bombs and white shorts with red and white sneakers. Cerise carried herself differently than the last time the others saw her. She truly looked and felt like a leader.

Loden's physical appearance hasn't changed much. She still had long green hair though seemed to be a little more muscular than before. Her attire changed more than her looks. She wore dark, blue-green, sleeveless shirt and matching tights. Over her clothing was green armor protecting her chest, waist, legs, and her left arm, giving her some protection while not restricting her movements. In her right hand was her naginata, Worldsplitter. She was more battle-ready than before.

Sapphire looked a little different than before. Her blue pixie cut hair grew a little longer and her clothing choice changed as well. She went from casual to formal-casual. She had on a black, buttoned-down coat with dark blue trim and a single, matching coattail on the right side. She wore black shorts and black shoes that transitioned to blue at the bottom. On her hands were her Spinneret gloves. Sapphire still had the air of a wild child, but it was different, like a predator lying in wait for its prey.

Last was Hazel and she changed the most out of the team. Her honey-colored hair was in a mid-length ponytail, showing she let it grow. She didn't have contacts anymore and wore glasses again. She wore a body suit that was mostly yellow with black outlining of the body. Attached to her back was her tech-pack, Hive, and on her arms were her wasp drones. The third was flying around and shooting bandits. She didn't have her command pad on her right arm anymore, so how she was controlling her drones was currently unknown. Hazel didn't look like a timid or reserved faunus she used to be. She looked determined.

Team CLSH was here and finishing off the bandits that were scattered around the desert where their base once stood. With their stronghold destroyed, none of them had a reason to stay and fight. Now, all the marauders wanted to run away to save their own skin. Unfortunately for the bandits, Team CLSH and VRSZ weren't going to let them get away so they can loot another day.

Hazel released her two drones on her arms and sent them after the bandits. They flew around and shoot a laser blast from it's stinger, attacking all bandits in their line of sight. The third drone was inside the Hive on Hazel's back. Its thruster started and Hazel took flight. She charged into one of the bandits, tackling him to the ground. She wasn't in the back fighting anymore.

Silver already had Fenrir as escrima sticks and started moving in to strike every bandit in his way. He enjoyed battering them because it brought an old thrill back into his life. He saw one of the bandits come his way so he scooped up some sand and threw it in the man's face then sucker-punched him in the throat. A dirty fighter till the end. Silver struck one person in the knee and another on the temple with his sticks. It felt good to be back in action. He howled in enjoyment.

His loud shout caught CLSH's attention and the girls finally realized VRSZ was here. Cerise, Sapphire, and Loden took notice while Hazel was still fighting. They all noticed the team was here, specifically Violet, who they haven't seen since the destruction of Fortuna. Cerise smiled and said to her team, "Show off!"

Everyone on both teams scattered to take down the bandits. None of them took the battle seriously anymore. This was a group of friends bonding after some time apart.

Loden slammed her naginata into the sand and earth erupted all around her. The rising stones launched a lot of bandits into the air where Zelts was and he spun around with his wingblades. His fast rotation created a spiral of wind around him that carried the bandits and broke apart the stones, making a tornado filled with people and stones. The bandits were being bombarded by the stones that flew their way before the tornado vanished and they fell to the ground. Loden and Zelts smirked at each other before moving to their next foe.

Silver used Gravity to leap to where Hazel was. He landed on top of one of her wasp drones and used his semblance to make himself light enough to ride it. The drone continued to shoot lasers at the enemy and Silver did the same with Fenrir as guns. He shot bullets filled with ice and lightning dust, freezing and electrocuting them on the spot. Hazel flew beside him and directed her drones to continue their work. On closer inspection, Silver could see Hazel was commanding them via her glasses which was actually a computer she controlled with her eyes. It was an ingenious creation that helped her operate with little trouble.

"Hey, Remus!" Sapphire shouted as she landed beside the Blue Flicker.

"Hey, Sapphire," Remus responded while palm striking a bandit in the jaw.

About seven bandits came their way and Sapphire whipped out her cables with Remus standing before them and in front of her. She waved her hands around and unleashed her cables at them. Remus ducked to avoid the first few cables as they lashed the bandits in their faces. Sapphire motioned again for the cables to sweep them from below while Remus pulled out Delta and changed it to its blaster form. He quickly hopped as Sapphire's cables swept the legs of the bandits, knocking them off their feet. Remus, while still in mid-jump, aimed Delta at the enemy and fired a bolt of blue energy at them, blasting them away. After he finished and the enemy was defeated, Sapphire jumped onto Remus' back and told him to run. She rode him through the battlefield to lash and whip all nearby bandits.

Violet threw some Enigmas at bandits coming Cerise's way and they fell to the ground with throwing knives in their bodies. Another group was trying to run away, but Cerise threw a Runaway at them while create a force field with her semblance, Shields. She contrasted a dome-shaped shield with a hive design around the bandits, preventing them from running away from the Runaway. The bomb went off and red like smoke came out. The bandits' eyes were beginning to water and they screamed in pain while others fell to the ground and wallowed in misery.

"You didn't use your dust for those guys?" Cerise asked Violet, as a form of saying hello.

"Can't waste everything on fodder. You added tear gas to your arsenal. You're getting scary," Violet responded, as a way of saying hi and that she's gotten stronger.

"Fodder? You sound like Silver." Cerise threw a cherry bomb that exploded in a burst of lightning that shocked them.

"Eh… The jackass rubbed off on me," Violet said whimsically. She pulled out her kukris and moved in to fight up-close.

Cerise used Shields to create a small, flat platform in the air with another in front of it. Violet jumped onto the first platform with one leg then leaped to the other. Cerise created more small platforms so Violet could jump through the air until she reached the last group of bandits that were too slow to run. Violet activated the ice dust in her kukris to coat the blades in ice, turning them into icy swords. She began her assault by slashing and striking her opponents, leaving jagged gashes and frosty cuts on their bodies. Some tried to overwhelm her with sheer numbers, but Cerise, from a distance, activated Shields and created a force field wall in the bandits' path. Violet saw this and used the interruption Cerise created to cut them down once Cerise deconstructed the shield. Blood stained the ice on Violet's blades as she took down the last few bandits with little difficulty.

The large clan of bandits was defeated. Most of them were beaten down while a few of them managed to escape, but the chance of them coming together again was very low. The mission was a success and Nova was safe. Now that the threat was gone, the two teams gathered together to finally speak for the first time in months.

"It's good to see you-" Violet started, but stopped when Cerise leaped for her and hugged her tight.

"I haven't seen you since the destruction of Fortuna. I was so worried," Cerise professed, glad that her friend was safe and sound.

"I'm glad to see you guys found her. She was in Atlas?" Loden asked the boys.

"Yeah. It was a crazy trip," Zelts admitted.

"We're never going back," Silver stated dryly. He really hated Atlas, the kingdom, all of it.

"Was it that bad?" Hazel asked.

Everyone on VRSZ looked back to their adventure in Atlas. Insane family members, nearly dying in the cold, nearly dying in an avalanche, and being arrested by Atlesian authorities.

"Yes," every member of VRSZ said dryly.

"Well, you guys are back in Vacuo. That's what's important," Hazel responded.

"And you guys are kicking ass! Gotten stronger see we last met, have ya?" Silver exclaimed.

"They've been leveling up like crazy," Remus said with enthusiasm. "We need to fight it out to see how strong they've gotten!"

Everyone glanced at each other before some of them chuckled at his suggestion. Violet placed her hand on his shoulder then said, "Another time."

 **Setting: Nova**

Both teams returned to the settlement they protected and they reported to the leader of Nova. Team VRSZ did this as a mission from Solis while CLSH was here on behalf of the kingdom of Vacuo, answering the leader's call for assistance.

Nova's leader rewarded CLSH on the spot and sent word to the kingdom of their success. The leader reported to Nova about VRSZ and they would be paid by Nova once they returned to Nexus. The two teams wanted to use this time to converse and trade stories, but Shade Academy was insisting Team CLSH return as soon as possible.

"How's life as academy students?" Zelts asked the girls.

"It's been great!" Sapphire answered first. "We're some of the best fighters there."

"Thanks to you guys teaching us," Loden stated happily. "It gave us a huge lead compared to the other students."

"Good to hear you guys rule the school," Silver added. "Next time you're around, swing by Nexus. It's our new home."

When Silver mentioned their home, the girls began to share slightly worried looks with one another. This didn't go unnoticed by Violet. "Something wrong?"

"It's just…Vacuo doesn't really like Nexus," Hazel admitted.

"Why's that?" Remus asked.

"Because its construction wasn't authorized by the kingdom. Also, because it's a flourishing settlement that can be seen as a second form of a governmental body in Vacuo. It's being viewed as a potential threat, so…" Cerise tried to explain, but Violet filled in the dots.

"Ah. No friendly interactions between Nexus and the kingdom. We're basically rogues living in a rogue town in their eyes."

"But not to us," Hazel said.

"Yeah. We know how cool you guys and Clair are. The people running the kingdom may not like you guys, but we do," Sapphire assured as she wraps her arm around Silver's neck.

"I like it. Makes us sound badass," Silver joked while smirking.

"Just know that the next time we run into each other, it might not be for friendly conversation," Loden informed VRSZ.

"Somewhere in our heads, we kinda figured that," Silver answered. "VRSZ and CLSH are gonna butt heads for a while."

"That doesn't bother you guys?" Cerise asked.

"Remember what we agreed on before we left to find Violet?" Silver asked and this piqued Violet's interest. "Next time we fight, we get together and eat. Losers buy."

Cerise and the others of CLSH couldn't help but laugh at their humorous promise. He washed away any concern they had with a few words. This meeting ended on a good note.

"We have to get going. We'll see you guys next time and maybe we can actually talk next time," Violet told the girls.

"Yeah. It'll be great to meet or fight our seniors," Sapphire said with a smile, hoping the next meeting would be a fight.

"I don't think we can consider you guys juniors anymore. From now on, you're all our equals. Remember that," Violet told Team CLSH.

Her words of praise raised the spirits of all the members of CLSH. To be seen as equals to the people they admire and respect was all they wanted. Hearing Violet says those words put a warm feeling in Cerise's chest especially. They were equals, standing on the same footing, and none of the girls wanted to disappoint.

"You guys better be ready if we're on opposite sides on a mission. We're taking you all down," Cerise declared and it resounded within her teammates as well. They all felt the same way.

Team VRSZ and Team CLSH; both teams saw each other as worthy rivals. Their homes may be adversaries, but their feelings for each other remained the same. This was the beginning of their friendly competition.

 **Setting: Desert**

Both teams departed Nova, returning to their homes after a job well done. Remus drove the Fantasia back to Nexus and Zelts was still amazed his friend could drive it so easily. Silver and Violet were in the back seats talking to each other.

"Those girls are going to be our toughest opponents yet," Silver said, "They know how we operate and they're getting better."

"That makes it more challenging. And we're not that old compared them. We get better and better every day just like they do. If anything, it'll be nice to have opponents out there that aren't trying to kill us," Violet retorted, feeling like today was extremely easy.

The team's first mission has been like their lives so far; easy. However, the harsh reality of life was that nothing remains the same forever.

 **A Few Hours Later**

 **Setting: Vacuo**

In the kingdom of Vacuo was Shade Academy, the only form of government and order in this region of Samus. The higher-ups of the academy were talking about the current events in Vacuo, including the rogue settlement, Nexus. Despite the town being built without consent, the kingdom decided not to take aggressive action against it, though they will also have no part in providing support or assistance in any way. Whatever happens in Nexus will be of no concern to them.

The topic of their discussion was not only about Nexus. It included two more rogue civilizations that have recently risen to power. The first was the City of Thieves that was once Fortuna. It became nothing more than the hangout of lowlifes that was bound to implode on itself eventually. The City of Thieves was something the kingdom believe they needn't worry about for long, but precautions will be made regardless.

The same couldn't be said for Nexus or the third settlement that was growing in the east. This third place was called Corona. It was growing in size and gathering a large group of people to live there. Besides that, there was only one other thing known about Corona. It was under a monarchy ruled by a single person. The kingdom of Vacuo was unfamiliar with this person, but their name was something heard before by the people of Fortuna. Someone who vanished from the city a few years ago. Remembered by Fortuna's citizens as a crime boss, known by a select few as Clair de Lune's fake persona.

The leader of Corona was named Royal.

* * *

 **Team CLSH is back as students of Shade Academy. This chapter served to introduce them as friendly rivals of Team VRSZ. Both teams will try to beat the other during missions. Their battles will be difficult since both teams know each other very well and CLSH has gotten stronger.**

 **Team CLSH's new theme song is _Born Ready_ by Dove Cameron. The song really expresses how confidant all the girls feel after learning as academy students. The lyrics describe how CLSH feels about wanting to be Huntresses and how close they feel they are to their goal.**

 **Cerise's Shields allows her to create force fields with her aura. After months of training, she can use her aura to manipulate the shape and size of her force fields. If they're broken, then the aura used to create them vanishes. But, if Cerise recedes her force fields, she reabsorbs the aura used to make them. he has learned to be very tactical with her semblance.**

 **Hazel's glasses for controlling her Hive drones are very similar to Google glasses.**

 **Nexus isn't a legal civilization in the eyes of Vacuo's kingdom because it was built without their permission. The only reason it remains untouched is due to its commercial success, bringing in trade and security for people in that general area. As the sole governmental body in Vacuo, the kingdom can't be everywhere at once.**


	4. The Man Covered in Shadows

**Setting: Desert**

"HAAA!" A scream bellowed out followed by the sound of metal crashing together.

Landing in the sand was Remus with Delta in hand, though he split his weapon and only held the single-edged sword portion while the short sword was attached to his back. He stood combat ready, outside of Nexus, with Violet watching him and his opponent with a grin on her face.

The person Remus was dueling was Clair who held her pen sword in hand. The Vantablack was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. The heat beating down didn't make this situation any better. Violet watched her friend before shifting her gaze to Remus, nodding to him and he nodded back.

He started sprinting toward Clair until he was moving too fast for her to see. Pockets of sand was kicked up every time he shifted around the area and Clair was trying her best to keep track, but she failed. Remus ran toward the enchanting Vantablack when her guard dropped then struck her blade with his. She almost lost the grip of her pen sword but kept a firm grip after the first attack because she knew a second was coming. The Blue Flicker swung his blade again and Clair blocked it, not properly, but better than before. The force of the attack caused her to slide a few feet across the sand.

"That's much better," Violet commended Clair who was winded. "That was the best maneuver you made in the past two hours."

"I…I thought…you'd be training with me…not…overseeing it," Clair managed to say between breaths.

"This is preparation for the unexpected," Violet answered, "As well as figuring what to do when faced with overwhelming odds. You won't always deal with an opponent whose equal to you. Take it from us. Grayson, Alexandrite, Absinthe, the Alpha, Ebony; confronting enemies stronger than yourself is a daily thing. But you're improving already. It's taken a while, but you've gotten better in a short time."

This training session tasked Clair with tagging Remus. She needed to find a way to deal with his superior speed and land one blow. Violet told Remus to attack her pen sword only and do his best to avoid her attacks. She figured if Clair could find a way around Remus' speed, she could definitely handle anyone else. If anything, her reflexes will improve tremendously.

Clair wasn't having a grand time with this session as she did with the other ones. She heard about how fast Remus was, but she hadn't experienced it firsthand, and she truly didn't like being on the receiving end of it. This was a frustrating task. To make matters worse, Clair was incredibly stubborn when it came to personal tasks. She didn't plan on quitting or leaving. She wanted to complete this training session no matter what.

"Clair, take a quick break and watch me," Violet called out as she approached Remus.

She stood a good distance from her teammate and told him to do what he was doing to Clair. Violet was going to demonstrate how she would counter Remus. "Go!"

Remus began running around the area and Clair was trying to follow him. She had gotten better at reacting and following him, but she barely caught where he was, only see the sand he kicked up after he moved.

Violet remained in the same spot she started and waited. She knew him very well and fought him several times and was used to his speed and rhythm. Ordinarily, she'd use something like her weapons or dust to slow him down. She never dealt with his speed head-on. However, Violet was confident with this demonstration.

Remus ran around here, unable to be seen by the naked eye, and he quickly made his move. He grabbed his single-edged sword and tried to swing it upward at Violet in front of her. She was going to respond, but Remus pivoted his feet and he quickly moved from his spot, feinting to catch Violet off guard. He came from behind and tried to deliver a downward kick to her right side, but Violet turned around, narrowly dodging his foot. Remus was surprised by this while also amazed. She quickly lifted her foot to deliver a spinning kick. He brought his arms up to blocked the attack before landing on the ground.

Clair was astonished as well. Seeing VRSZ, specifically Violet, in combat always made her acknowledge how strong they were. She recognized Violet's choice of combating Remus and needed to find her own way of succeeding. She got her second wind. "Let's go!"

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

The once proud city of Fortuna, the original home of VRSZ, became a popular hub for the thugs and lowlifes of Vacuo. Outside the ruined city was an old man, crawling through the sands, panting and groaning with sweat running down his face. He had on a traveler's bag two sizes too big and four canteens of water attached to his waist. The old man seemed to be traversing the desert and was completely fatigued. He reached for one of his canteens but was effort was great due to the beating sun. His life depended on drinking that water.

Someone approached the old man and grabbed the canteen for him. The traveler was surprised by this person's appearance but grateful someone came to help him. Unfortunately for him, his supposed savior was the man who claimed the City of Thieves as his own, Grayson.

He opened the canteen and drank the water himself, much to the old man's dismay. Grayson's thirst was nothing like the traveler's, but he didn't care. He dropped the container before the old man then started opening and rummaging through his bag. He didn't find much of value, only a few Lien, and left toward the city, leaving the ransacked old man to die in the desert.

Grayson walked through the ruined city which as his base of operations, watching different kinds of people do their own thing; fight each other, steal from another, gamble, sell whatever they could. It was a city with no order except him. His reputation and that of the Ravagers caused everyone to flock here and it was his reputation that made all those criminals agree that he was untouchable. In some form or another, there was honor among thieves.

He returned to the destroyed building of Concordia where he and his fellow Ravagers called home. However, he wasn't met by Alexandrite or Shiranui. Standing in the main lobby was a man he never saw before.

"You must be Grayson. I'm honored," the man said, speaking in a confident tone.

This person seemed to be around the same age as Grayson, if not older. He was dressed in ragged and torn clothes which were mostly black. He had on a black tunic with rips and tears, but was still wearable. He wore matching black pants that her shredded at the bottom and black boots. Wrapped around his waist was a purple and silver belt with two square pouches, one on his backside and the other on his right side. He also had a dark grey, hooded cloak wrapped around his tunic. As if the color black wasn't enough of an indicator of his motif, his eyes had black pupils or very dark brown that made it hard to discern. Despite his black color scheme, his skin was stark white and matching stark white hair that was cut close to his scalp except for a mohawk that was black.

"And you are?" Grayson asked, already reaching for his grapple sword on his side.

"Vago, master of shadows," he answered.

"How humble," Grayson said sarcastically. "Now, can you explain why the master of shadows is waltzing around in my home."

"Simple. I'd like to join the Ravagers. If you'd allow it."

"…" Grayson eyed Vago suspiciously. "And I'm supposed to let you in like that?"

Vago laughed and Grayson didn't like that. "I never expected you too. But I'm willing to prove myself if that's what it takes."

It's been a long time since Grayson added anyone new into his ranks, especially since things have been very easy for him these past months. There was no real problem with more people under his command. Alexandrite and Shiranui weren't enough and this Vago person could be worth it, but Grayson wasn't going to let him join just because he asked. If he was going to let hm into the Ravagers, he planned to profit from it or get some form of amusement.

"Normally, I go out and look for people to join the Ravagers. Their skill set and reputation are what calls to me. Someone coming off their own volition has never happened before and I never heard of you, Vago."

"I get what you're trying to say."

"Good. So, if you want to roll with the Ravagers, then you need to prove your worth. Go out there and bring me something of value," Grayson ordered Vago.

"Anything particular?"

"Just find something you think I'll like, then I'll determine its value. And you only have one shot. I don't have the time to deal with fools, so if you come back with something useless-"

Grayson's words were interrupted by the wall behind him being broken through. Running into Concordia was Alexandrite with her crystal coating her arms. She rushed toward Vago to attack him. A rule in the city was that no one besides the Ravagers could enter Concordia or be met with extreme force. All Alexandrite saw was an intruder with Grayson and she was free to fight.

Even though Grayson knew this was a misunderstanding, he wasn't going to stop her. If anything, this was a good excuse to see if Vago was as good as he claimed. He might stop if things get out of control. _Might_.

Eyes flashing red, Alexandrite charged at Vago to tackle him with her red crystal armor coating her arms and growing on her shoulders. Vago reacted by activating his semblance, a black mist was released from his hands and spread around the area she was coming from. The black shroud covered the area around and in front of Alexandrite. Grayson couldn't see through the darkness and neither could Alexandrite from the inside.

The bedazzled behemoth couldn't see anything, nor could she hear anything. She felt like she in an empty void until she felt herself crash into something. The darkness dissipated. Grayson could see Vago on the other side of the lobby and Alexandrite who ran blindly into the wall.

 _"Semblance? Very nice,"_ Grayson thought. He found Vago's claim to be master of shadows may not be off base.

Alexandrite emerged from the rubble unscathed with seething green eyes. She used her semblance to grow more crystal, which was green, around her legs, nearly wearing it was full body armor. She was about to attack him again, but Grayson called her off.

"That's enough, Alexandrite. This person is a potential comrade. We can't traumatize new recruits. Play nice."

At his words, Alexandrite disengaged her semblance, her crystal armor breaking apart and disintegrating. She began stretching to loosen her body. "Fine, I'm going to find someone else to fight."

And with that, she left as quickly as she appeared. To say her presence didn't affect Vago was a huge understatement. The man was terrified of Alexandrite. He found her frightening yet beautiful at the same time. He did not want to engage her in a proper battle. She'd leave him a bloody mark on the floor.

Vago stayed in place, still thinking about Alexandrite until Grayson snapped him out of his trance. He told the man of shadows to get going if he wanted to be part of the Ravagers.

And with that, Vago left. Grayson didn't know whether he'd see him again, but he didn't care. Either Grayson would receive a new underling and something precious or nothing at all.

Now, Grayson needed to prepare and go see Shiranui. The fox faunus heard of some new place called Corona and they needed to gather more information about it.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

Outside the oasis known as the kingdom of Vacuo was the airship owned by the charming Vantablack. She, Blood, and Zinnia stayed in the kingdom where they were warmly welcomed by the people, thanks to Ebony's natural charisma and new role as an envoy.

For a kingdom in the desert, it was very beautiful. There were extravagant buildings and the people were dressed very uniquely and beautifully. The citizens of the kingdom were all so different. Humans and faunus living together with no signs of bigotry or concealed hatred. It was a sight to behold. If only more places could be like Vacuo's kingdom.

Blood flexed his large wings amongst the people and no one batted an eye. It felt good to be back in Vacuo. He stood in front of a clothing shop where Ebony dragged Zinnia. She wanted to find new things to wear and brought Zinnia for her opinion. Though she eyed some feminine clothing, Ebony was looking at more masculine clothing that was loose and comfortable. Blood was reminded by watching her that Clair liked doing the same thing with Violet and Bianca.

 _"Their tastes are different, but Ebony is very similar to Clair,"_ Blood thought once again.

"I have clothes for business, but I want something new for casual wear. Tell me, does this scream 'Vacuo?'" Ebony asked Zinnia as she held up a pair of dark rose-colored pants.

Zinnia told her they were okay but didn't suit her style which Ebony agreed. She put the pants away and kept searching. She wanted to find something new to wear since she'll be staying in Vacuo for some time.

It was in the kingdom she waited until she was summoned for a task. With Shade Academy being the only form of government in Vacuo, establishing control of such a large continent was very difficult. Ebony told the higher-ups she'd be more than happy to go to the places they couldn't and help usher stability. It was only a matter of time until she was called to act. For now, she was enjoying herself in the company of her retainers.

Even if she hadn't been summoned by the higher-ups, she had a very good idea what her first assignment will be about. She's been hearing a lot of people in the kingdom talk about Corona. Its growth has been exponential in the past few weeks and has been nothing but a mystery to everyone around it. Ebony wondered what was going on over there. She was very curious. However, her mind was more focused on finding a new outfit.

 **Setting: Nexus**

The sun was setting and the sky shifted from blue to red-orange. On the outskirts of Nexus stood Violet, who continued watching the long training session between Clair and Remus. For hours, Clair has been trying to tag Remus, but has been fruitless in her efforts. She was very tired, but she wasn't going to give up until she got him. Her drive to succeed prevented her body from slowing down. The same couldn't be said for Remus who was ready to call it a day. He wasn't tired, but the repetitive motions were getting to him and he was slightly bored. But Violet asked him to stay and help and he wasn't going to leave when she asked. He also admired Clair's spirit.

Once again, Remus started running around Clair, looking for the moment to strike. After experiencing his speed for hours, Clair was getting used to keeping better track of him. He wasn't a much of a blue blur anymore and her reaction time has improved greatly.

She was ready. This was the moment she was going to tag Remus and she figured out her own way to do it. He sprinted around Clair and got closer with each step. Clair's body tensed up, but she started put her plan into action. She started humming loudly, using Songstress to her advantage. She used her semblance to cause induce Remus with slight delirium once he was close enough to hear her. Violet never said she couldn't use her semblance in this training session.

Remus was still running when he heard Clair's humming. Slowly but surely, he was starting to feel delirious. He was having was slowing down and a hard time staying on his feet. As he slowed his pace, Remus began to lose his balance. He tripped over his feet and started to tumble over. Luckily, Clair caught him before he fell and she held him in her arms, ceasing her semblance and tagging Remus. She completed her session.

"And it only took nine hours," Violet said humorously as she approached the two.

Clair flashed her a triumphant smile before looking down at Remus whose mind was quickly back to normal. He noticed he was being held up by Clair and realized training was over.

"Thanks for the workout," Clair said then pecked him on top of his head.

He rose from her grasp and asked, "Can we go back home? I'm starving." He thought about what Silver was cooking for dinner.

"Yes. Let's go eat," Violet said kindly.

All three of them walked back into Nexus so they could go home and relax.

 **Setting: Desert**

The sky was dark as the moon took over for the sun. The lack of sun and slightly cooler air made the desert bearable, especially when it comes to travel. Many people offer others rides for a higher than standard price and they'd pay it. You don't find a lot of people choosing to travel a large wasteland at night. It was easy business.

In a caravan trudging through the desert were a group of people. One of those people was Vago. He planned to travel to a nearby town to find a place to sleep there. Starting tomorrow, he had to find something worth Grayson's time if he wanted to join the Ravagers.

* * *

 **The title of this chapter came from the description of background characters in RWBY Vol. 1.**

 **Vago's semblance is called Abyss. He creates darkness from his aura. He can size and shape it however he likes, but the more darkness he creates, the more aura he uses. It cannot be seen through by anyone and those within the Abyss can't see anything else inside the darkness but themselves. If two people are trapped in the same darkness, they can't see each other even if they're next to each other.**

 **Vago is based on Peter Pan's shadow, a living entity of darkness though nothing more than a troublemaker in the stories.** **With Vago being based on Peter Pan's shadow and another major character being based on Peter Pan, there will be a certain dynamic created between them.**


	5. Summit

**A/N:** **I'd like to encourage all readers to leave a review of this story. Creative criticism helps me improve the experience for everyone. Even just commenting on what you liked about a chapter is fine. LinxBento, you're already doing your part. Thank you.**

* * *

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

Inside his personal weapons room, Grayson looked over his ever-growing arsenal. He had swords, guns, cannons, axes, and much more, of all types and models. Some were collected through missions or theft while others were given to him as a sign of respect. He used them every now and then when needed, but his grapple sword was always his preferred weapon and he always carried it with him.

During his inspection, Grayson heard the sound of an explosion. It was loud but didn't seem to be big since the room didn't shake over anything. He sighed because he figured another brawl broke out between some punks. His assumption was in question as he began hearing more people fighting each other. Grayson, exasperated, began trekking out of Concordia to see what was going on.

He figured Alexandrite would come and settle it. Then he thought how that was too optimistic and realized she could've started the fight and kept going. Either way, Grayson needed to be there.

When he stepped outside the building, he looked over the area and noticed something was very off. The situation unfolding wasn't a pointless brawl but a coordinated assault. A militia group was attacking the thugs and scoundrels around them then started looting whatever their victims left behind. Some of the residents tried to raise arms against the group but they failed in their retaliation. A bunch of criminals coming together had little chance against a group of people who had better synergy and actual tactics. A unified front was always formidable.

Grayson raised his arm up. The armor plating on it opened up and inside was about eight of his bombs. He took out three of them then threw them at the militia group. The bombs exploded in the militia's formation and they were scattered around. He separated all twelve of them and he moved in to kill them.

The group was still staggered from Grayson's explosives and he used their confusion to land the first blow. Grayson threw his grapple sword in the direction of two invaders standing beside each other. The blade flew by, slashing at their necks as Grayson raced toward them. He noticed both men were hit but the strike wasn't fatal. He figured they were protected by their aura. He groaned because he couldn't kill them instantly. Grayson, still running to the two he attacked, used the cable attached to his arm to pull his sword back to his side. The blade flew by the two invaders again and slashed at them a second time, making them wince in pain as Grayson grabbed his sword.

He reeled his fist wielding his sword then slammed his fist against the man's face. Then quickly spun around and slashed his chest. The man fell, but not before Grayson snatched his weapon, a shotgun, out his hand then fired it on the second one. The force of the blast knocked him far away. Grayson looked down at the man beneath his feet and roughly stomped on his face, breaking his aura and knocking him out.

A third came his way with a mechanized battle-ax and Grayson fired at him with the shotgun, blowing him away. He landed on the ground and Grayson sauntered over to him. Repeatedly fired at the fallen man until his aura broke or he was out of ammo. The former won. The man's aura was broken and Grayson counted the shots he fired. There was one round left. Grayson, being the person that he was, fired the last round into the man's guts. His stomach was torn open and blood splattered around them, including on Grayson, but he was unfazed. The man was bleeding out and in tremendous pain, but it only lasted for several seconds before death came to relieve his suffering.

With a few of their allies defeated, six more members of the militia tried to confront Grayson by surrounding and charging. He held onto the cable connecting his arm with his sword and started twirling it, spinning the sword around and keeping the enemy at bay, at least the ones wielding close-combat weapons. Two of them were armed with guns and they aimed for Grayson's head. The two were on opposite ends of Grayson. If he attacked one, he'd leave himself open to the other and the four with them. Despite the odds, Grayson didn't seem to be bothered because he knew something they didn't; he had allies.

Out of nowhere, a blue fireball connected to a chain came and struck one of the armed invaders in the back of his head. The impact made the flames spread and the two guards beside him caught fire then frantically moved away in no specific direction. They were all too concerned with putting out the flames on their clothing. The invader with the gun aimed but was run through by a lance covered in blue crystal. Behind the dead man was Alexandrite, lifting her weapon a little higher to make sure the man was dead. The two beside him wielded a sword and a large club. They attacked Alexandrite from both sides and she didn't react. The sword broke upon her crystal and the club didn't leave a mark or crack in the armor. With the person still impaled and hanging from her weapon, Alexandrite swung her weapon at the sword wielder and knocked him far away. She drops the person on her lance while reaching out and grabbing the man holding the club. Raising him off the ground with one hand, she was ready to kill him too.

"Stop," Grayson called out.

He approached Alexandrite while Shiranui was in the background, taking care of the three he set on fire and the rest that remained. Alexandrite turned to Grayson irritated. She didn't like someone interrupting her fights.

"Why!?" she barked at him in irritation.

Grayson paid it no mind and continued. "Because we need to know why they did this or who sent them. Can't interrogate a dead man. And a lot less fun. Leave this guy here, and go help Shiranui take out the others."

Alexandrite dropped the frightened man and joined her colleague in killing the others. The one she dropped tried to crawl away to safety, but Grayson stepped on his left leg to keep him in place. He wanted to know who would attack his city.

Then there was one. After Shiranui and Alexandrite killed nearly everyone in the militia group, they gathered to where Grayson was. He sat on the defeated man's back as he watched his underlings kill the others. He stuck his grapple sword into the ground in front of the man to remind him not to try anything.

"Let's down to business," Grayson said as he got off the sole survivor.

The man tried desperately to run, but Shiranui lashed out his lantern flail and wrapped it around his neck, choking him. The fox faunus pushed him to the ground and stood on top of his backside. Alexandrite stood next to them and Grayson knelt down in front of the last trespasser.

He smiled at the man before asking, "Now then, do you want to tell us why you and friends thought it was a good idea to ransack my territory?" His tone shifted from pleasant to threatening as he finished his sentence.

The man didn't say anything, resolute to keep his mouth shut. Grayson glanced at Alexandrite and she nodded. She used her semblance to cover her right foot in purple-colored crystal to match her purple eyes. She lifted her foot over the man's right leg then slammed down as hard as she could, breaking the man's leg with ease.

He howled in pain until they were reduced to mild cries. His leg snapped in two and was lying limp and bent in a way it shouldn't. The man was breathing deeply and sharply as the pain still rang throughout his body. He shut his eyes and kept his head low, but Grayson grabbed him by his chin and forced him to look up at his face.

"If you want to walk home after this, it's probably in your best interest to start talking. All your friends are dead. No one else is coming to help you. Even if we leave you alone, all the others you guys attacked will come back for revenge and I won't stop them. We're your safest to get out of here in one piece."

The man began to hyperventilate as Grayson explained his situation. He didn't want to die.

"Let me ask you one _final_ time; why are you here? Who sent you?" Grayson asked.

"N-no one sent us here. We came of our own volition," the man said, terrified of Grayson.

"Why would you do that?"

"We planned to raid your supplies and bring them to our king as a sign of gratitude."

"King? Who is your king?" Grayson asked.

The man answered, "Royal."

 **Setting: Nexus**

The civilization known as Corona was a hot topic throughout Vacuo. It was constructed recently and has already amassed a large following. People were flocking to the city and one name was coming up just as much as Corona; Royal.

In the council building of Nexus, all the council members were discussing what to do about Corona. Solis of Nova was there and so was Carmine of Virago along with the representatives of Treasure Trove Wharf and the fourth settlement, Oasis.

The representative from Treasure Trove Wharf was a woman in her mid-forties and of strong character. Her blue eyes were sharp and focused all the time. She had blond hair fashioned in a ponytail the reached past her shoulders. She wore a green nautical coat with white trousers and brown, knee-high boots. She wore white gloves to match her pants and her coat had four gold pins on the left breast pocket. One was shaped like a ship, the second was a cloud with lightning striking, and the third had a skull with a crack in the middle. The largest one was shaped like a feather.

This woman's name was Chartreuse and she was a ship captain in Treasure Trove. After the closing of borders policy, Chartreuse took to the sea to defend the port settlement from would-be trespassers. Her prowess in seafaring battle was impressive and her credibility was what made her a representative. Her role as a representative helped benefit her home with extra protection with Nexus' thanks to the guards and some of Virago's warriors stationed there. She planned to uphold her new station and that included talking with the others about Corona.

Oasis was a settlement that functioned as a resort and relaxation spot that welcomed everyone regardless of allegiance. Its willingness to offer its services to everyone was the reason Oasis has not been targeted by bandits. It was one of the few safe places in Vacuo.

The representative from Oasis was a man in his late thirties and he looked bored like he wanted to be anywhere else. The man's hair was pale blue but only a few tufts were shown since his head was wrapped in a blue and purple bandanna with two strands with beads on the left side. He was dressed in a blue jacket with white accents over a white V-neck shirt and dark purple cargo shorts. He had silver and gold bangles on his arms and two bronze rings on his right hand.

His attire showed he was quite affluent which was a correct statement since he was the second child and first son of Oasis' ruler. The man who founded the settlement was born with nothing but eventually worked to amass a fortune large enough to create his own paradise. He did so through trade and conquering great feats like defeating some of the most dangerous Grimm.

The representative of Oasis was named Persis, but he preferred to be called Percy instead. He wasn't a fighter like his father, but he knew how to work the economic world of Remnant, making him an important asset to Oasis and Nexus.

Carmine, Solis, Chartreuse, and Percy. All four council members were present in the assembly chamber where they discuss the matters of Nexus amongst themselves. With them was the former monarch of Fortuna and known as the Lady of Nexus, Clair de Lune Vantablack. The debate about Corona and Royal was something she needed to be a part of. Someone with her old alias name showing up wasn't a good sign in her book.

"Does anyone know anything about Corona?" Carmine asked the other council members.

"Unfortunately, I have no concrete data on the civilization," Solis confessed, disappointed with himself. He clasped his hands together, showing he did regret not providing any important information for the others.

"It's not surprising," Chartreuse intervened, speaking strongly and clearly, "Corona was made no contact with any other settlements in vacuo. It has been self-reliant since its construction."

"A remarkable feat. Not many civilizations in vacuo survive so long on their own," Clair said, impressed with this bit of news. "But a place like Corona, growing so large, cannot remain secluded forever. Sooner or later, it'll have an influence on the rest of Vacuo."

Solis responded, "But what kind of influence will it have?"

The rest of the council members were silent as they thought about Solis' questioned. Corona was a complete unknown so its effect on Vacuo was unknown. Was it is like any other settlement or is there a reason for its construction and isolation?

The first person to speak was Percy and he asked, "If we're worried about Corona's intentions, why don't we ask them?"

"Send an envoy on Nexus' behalf?" Chartreuse asked.

Percy shrugged, "It's long overdue. Doing this will let us know more about Corona, this Royal person, and what they stand for. Plus, if we get an ally out this, Nexus will boost in business."

 _"There's that shrewd mind,"_ Clair and Carmine thought simultaneously. They both knew Percy very well. He usually didn't do much unless he could profit from it, but he mostly knew what he was talking about. Percy was the reason the trading district of Nexus was so prominent and always booming. His business savvy served Nexus and Oasis very well.

"It does make sense. Better to try to make an ally out of our new neighbor. Or at least learn more about them," Solis stated.

"All right. We can send an envoy and introduce ourselves," Carmine said. "Who's going to be our diplomat?"

"How about this VRSZ team you speak so fondly of, Clair?" Chartreuse asked. "It appears they have a high success rate."

"…I'm not sure. They're good, but I don't think they'll be the best choice for this. Diplomacy is a very delicate subject and it takes a certain set of skills to achieve."

"I've also mastered a certain set of skills. They revolve around baking," Solis joked to lighten the atmosphere. He got a laugh from Carmine and a humorous huff from Percy, but Chartreuse wasn't amused. The young man made it his mission to make the stalwart sea captain smile or laugh.

"I'll do it," Clair answered. "Any objections?"

She was the perfect candidate to represent Nexus. Clair was known as the Lady of Nexus and her work as Fortuna's monarch gave her years of experience dealing with diplomacy and ruling. She would have mutual ground with a fellow leader and her flexible lifestyle meant she could leave Nexus without worrying about the town.

"Perfect," Percy said.

"None here," Chartreuse answered with a pleased expression. She had a great deal of respect for the Vantablack.

"No objection," Carmine stated.

Solis didn't respond verbally. He nodded at Clair to let her know he supported her decision.

"Then it's agreed. I'll extend an olive branch to Corona to learn more about them," Clair stated as she rose from her seat. "The next thing we need to do is make contact with Corona."

"I'll go see if they have any open channels on the CCT and let them know we want to talk," Percy said as he got up from his seat.

"You can find them?" Carmine asked.

"Can't be too hard. There aren't many unknown channels in Vacuo. I just got to identify all the unknown channels in the east of Vacuo and contact them. One of them is bound to belong to Corona," Percy explained.

"Good. Let them know we just wish to speak with their leader," Clair told Percy and he nodded.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

The higher-ups of Vacuo were in an open channel talks with the city of Corona. They wished to talk to Royal but spoke to someone who worked under him. That person sounded like a man and he said he'd relay demands between Vacuo and Royal. After several of the kingdom's requests and Royal's rejections, the two parties had reached a compromise. The kingdom was to send an envoy to Corona where they discuss their future standing. That was the plan, but the kingdom of Vacuo true goal was to learn if Corona was an enemy or posed a threat to the kingdom. Security first, diplomacy came second.

This was an important assignment for the kingdom. They needed the right person to speak on their behalf and learn what they could about Corona. Fortunately, the person they needed was waiting for this moment.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

It happened. The moment finally came. Ebony was given her first mission as a diplomat. She and her retainers were flying in her airship heading straight toward Corona. The higher-ups of Vacuo requested Ebony to learn about Corona and Royal's motives. She needed to inform the kingdom if this new settlement and its ruler was a potential threat or a willing ally. The charming Vantablack planned to make her first assignment a complete success no matter what it took.

In the common area of the airship, Ebony sat in a chair and hummed a song to herself. She did find a new casual outfit to wear while she was in Vacuo. Ebony wore a black hoodie jacket. It didn't have a zipper. Instead, the jacket had two buckles, similar to belt buckles, with brown straps to loosen, open, close or tighten it. The first buckle was right below the neck and the second was in the middle of the jacket. Because Vacuo was so hot, underneath the black hoodie was a light grey short shirt that exposed her midriff and her very toned stomach. On the left side of her exposed midriff was half of a crown tattoo. The other half was covered by her light grey jeans. She also had her weapon, Trois Reines, on her side and black sneakers. Ebony liked her new outfit a lot.

She was enjoying herself immensely, but she needed to inform Blood and Zinnia of her intentions. With her scroll, she texted both of them to come to the common area while the ship's autopilot took them to their destination. Ebony explained what the kingdom wanted them to do and was about to tell them what she wanted.

"This will be the first step to my dream. Which is why I want this mission to be done flawlessly. Our goal is to make sure Royal and Corona become allies of the kingdom."

"That's if we can convince them to do so. I hear Corona is proud of its independence," Blood said.

"And Royal's agenda is completely unknown," Zinnia added. "He could be planning to wage war."

"Then we inform the kingdom and tell them we'll dissuade Royal from doing so. An armistice would be even better, especially with how things are now. With the world on edge after the Fall of Beacon, war is the last thing anyone wants and preventing a civil war before it starts will boost our reputation," Ebony explained.

"…It sounds like you want to start a war," Blood stated, wondering if that was her true objective.

Ebony looked at Blood, disgusted. "Of course not! How could you think that? Causing chaos just to fix it is beneath me. My morals may be in the grey spectrum, but I'm not a monster, sir."

She spoke as if she was offended by his remark, even though she wasn't. Blood knew it, Ebony and Zinnia knew it, but something told the bat faunus still felt like he needed to apologize.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it," Ebony told them with a bright smile. "Just relax until we get there. This trip will take a few hours."

And with that, Blood excused himself to be in his room, the place he usually stayed in when they were flying. Ebony remained in the casual room with Zinnia who looked at the charming Vantablack with yearning eyes.

"If you have a question, you can ask it," Ebony told her, knowing Zinnia wanted to say something.

"Are you sure everything will go as for saying it will? Not all plans go we want them to," Zinnia said, speaking from her experience as an Atlas soldier.

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy," Ebony countered, using military talk to appease and surprise her confidant. "Our ability to adapt is what determines victory. And I have confidence in myself and in you that we'll succeed the way we want to."

Zinnia was worried for her friend but what little doubt she had was tucked away. Ebony's self-assurance made her believe things would go smoothly. She has witnessed how the charming Vantablack shifted things to her favor and thought this mission would be no different. Still, Zinnia always thought about the worst-case scenario when in battle. The little doubt she had was only tucked away, but it was still there, lingering.

 **Setting: Clair's Airship**

Inside an airship was Clair, Ghost, Bianca, and Azura. After talks with the kingdom of Vacuo, Royal and Corona opened channels with Nexus and told them the same thing; bring an envoy to speak on their behalf. However, Royal didn't tell Nexus about his meeting with the kingdom and that both parties will convene on the same day.

The rules for Clair were the same for Ebony; the envoy can come with two bodyguards the most. Clair understood the terms but ignored them anyway. Her bodyguards for the meeting were Bianca and Ebony. She had another mission for Ghost. With his semblance to phase through solid objects, Ghost was tasked with infiltration and espionage. Just like the kingdom, Nexus wanted to make sure Royal wasn't trying anything nefarious that could put their home in jeopardy. It was risky, but it was a risk Clair was willing to take.

Bianca and Azura were bodyguards, but Clair told them not to look for a fight. If things go well, fighting wouldn't be an issue.

 **Setting: Desert**

Moving through the sandy terrain on their weaponized doom buggy, the Ravagers were driving with a purpose. Shiranui was behind the wheel with Grayson in the passenger seat. Behind them was Alexandrite, who was keeping a bored eye on their prisoner, the sole survivor of the militia group. The band of scoundrels was heading to the man's home, Corona. It was there Grayson planned to have a not so friendly discussion with Royal.

* * *

 **Clair, Ebony, and Grayson. Three major players and their respective groups are converging to Corona. And without Team VRSZ being a part of the next few chapters. Things are going to get chaotic.**

 **Persis and Chartreuse are the other two members of the Nexus council.**

 **Persis is the son of a man based on Jack and the Beanstalk and Oasis is a representation of Jack benefiting from the riches of the golden goose. He is named after the Persian blue color. Persis himself is based off the Sandman in folklore. He is a shrewd businessman who has helped make Oasis into the dreamland it is today.**

 **Oasis is a settlement based loosely on Las Vegas.**

 **Chartreuse is named after a color between green and yellow. It's also named after a French liquor the same name. She's based off Tinkerbell from Peter Pan, taking the pirate element from the story. She is a ship captain and is a hardened fighter. She has no prior relationship with Zelts even though she's based on Tinkerbell and he on Peter Pan, but has heard of VRSZ's exploits and respects Zelts more than the others.**

 **Corona is crown in Latin.**

 **Grayson's pretty much achieved his goal of being the top dog mercenary in Vacuo. Business for him has been tremendous and he's thinking about going home to Mistral to spread his name. The only reason he's still in Vacuo is to clean up any loose ends.**


	6. All Hail Royal!

**Setting: Clair's Airship**

Clair looked down at one of the windows in her airship, watching the sea of sand beneath her massive vehicle with a contemplative look. She was thinking about what kind of place Corona was like along with its ruler, Royal.

The only connection she had with that name was when she used it in Fortuna to keep the crooks in line. Clair wondered if this Royal was anything like her criminal, gang lord persona. She didn't want to arrive in Corona and make an enemy of a new settlement. Her thoughts were slowly causing her to feel anxious about this diplomatic mission. She started to realize how important her task was and the weight that came with it.

"Are you all right, Lady Clair?" Bianca asked when she walked into Clair's cabin room.

"Y-yes. I'm fine. Just a little nervous. I haven't done this since I reached out to the other settlements to help make Nexus. How long was that? About two, three months?"

Bianca walked to her side. "Everything will be fine. You've done this more than enough to be a natural. This will be easy." She put a reassuring hand on Clair's shoulder.

Her words were a nice comfort. They helped assuage any doubt Clair had. "How's Ghost and Azura?"

"Ghost is Ghost, and Azura seems fine. She doesn't seem to be worried about her first mission."

"That's good. We'll be reaching Corona very soon. I want all of us to leave a good impression."

 **Setting: Corona**

The airship was encroaching over a city and Clair's team reached their destination. Everyone looked down from the ship, except for Ghost because he had to pilot it, and they saw the large civilization named Corona. They were all amazed.

The settlement was open to the rest of Vacuo. There were no walls, moats, or borders and the city itself was massive. It spanned over more land than any settlement in Vacuo Clair has ever been in. Corona even surpassed Fortuna in size. All the buildings were about one floor high and made of stone. They were everywhere and it seemed many of them were constructed recently. The denizens of Corona were similar to the citizens of Vacuo: very diverse. No one looked upset or oppressed, which was a good sign. Many of them were eyeing Clair's airship as it came into view. Anyone would look at an airship randomly flying by their home.

Corona was grand. Too grand. Clair knew this well.

In Vacuo, where resources are very scarce, the size of a settlement always determined how much food, water, etc. were needed to keep life going. Size equals lifespan.

A place this large needed an enormous amount of materials they probably couldn't afford or find. The lack of resources was the main reason thieves and scoundrels existed in spades in Vacuo. Corona was a bustling settlement for now, but in a month or two, fewer people were going to be living here. This was a future problem for Corona, but it could prove to work in Clair's favor. She needed to meet with Royal and make an ally of him. Offering to provide some resources through allied trading could increase the likelihood of Royal allying with Nexus.

The airship landed near the city, next to another airship, and the passengers on board were ready to depart.

Clair looked to her enforcers with a professional look. "Bianca. Azura. You two are my bodyguards. Ghost. You're doing reconnaissance."

"Yes, Lady Clair," Bianca answered for them. Clair looked to Ghost.

"Search Corona for anything suspicious and don't draw any attention to yourself. I'll text you when we're ready to leave."

"Got it," Ghost replied.

"Get moving. Can't have Royal's staff know we have one person too many with us." Clair winked at him.

Ghost nodded and activated Spectre. He phased through the airship's wall to get outside and again beneath the sands. He began his infiltration mission while Clair, Bianca, and Azura began their diplomatic duty.

The three young women walked to Corona with all her citizens watching them. It was unnerving to have all eyes on them, though coming out of nowhere on an airship did warrant attention. Clair remained unfazed and pressed on, but her marching was halted by a young man standing before her.

This person was a faunus. His animal trait was his skin. He had dark skin, but there were patches of hardened, reptilian scales on his face. The man had dreadlocks fashioned into a mid-length ponytail that ended just above the base of his neck. His hair was black and he had a thin chin-strap beard. His eyes were steel grey and they looked really serious.

He was wearing a long black coat with red lining, but no shirt underneath. The top of his coat was open so his bare chest could be seen including a portion of red armor plating on his stomach. There were more hardened scales on his chest, functioning like natural armor. He had on black pants but had red armor over his outer thighs and calves. He had on black armor boots that matched his red and black color scheme. On his left hip was an irregular greatsword. It was silver with red, elaborate decorations of dragon wings. The sword had a firing mechanism and a gun chamber at the hilt filled with fire dust.

The reptilian faunus looked like a disciplined fighter. And based on how he approached them, he knew who Clair was.

"You're Clair de Lune Vantablack, correct?" the man asked in a deep, respectful voice.

"Yes, and these are my bodyguards. Bianca and Azura," Clair introduced her enforcers.

Bianca smiled and nodded at the man. Azura didn't greet him, choosing to look him over to assess how strong he was.

The man nodded to them before bringing his attention back to Clair. "My name is Brenton Drake. I work for Royal. He asked me to guide our guests to his palace when they arrived."

"…Guests? Are you expecting someone other than us?" Clair asked.

"Yes. They've already arrived, but it shouldn't hamper your meeting with Royal. Now, if you'll follow me." Brenton turned around and guided Clair's group to their destination.

The party walked through Corona and took in the sights. Despite the settlement's size, there wasn't much to see. All the buildings looked the same whether they served as homes or shops. The people appeared happy as they went about their daily lives. In fact, a majority of them waved and cheered their way, but it wasn't directed at Clair or her enforcers. The people were praising Brenton. They waved to him, shouted his name, and complimented him as he walked by. One of those compliments was calling Brenton Royal's right-hand man. The reptilian faunus waved back as a courtesy, but he didn't smile. He was a stern individual and a rather important one in Corona.

Ghost was walking through another part of Corona. There was zero security or any form of police around, so he was free to walk among the people instead of lurking around. There wasn't much to see in his investigation. Just buildings, some man-made gardens for fruits and vegetables, farms for livestock, and normal people. Nothing out of the ordinary in Corona so far. Looking for something concrete, Ghost climbed a nearby building to scope out the city. There were only a few taller buildings, but two were the tallest and largest in the entire city. A coliseum and another building that looked like a castle or a temple.

 _"Maybe that's where I need to go,"_ Ghost jumped off the building and made a beeline for the Coliseum.

 **Setting: Castle**

The walk was long, which was expected in a large city, and Brenton led Clair's team to their destination. It was also a quiet walk because Brenton refused to talk to Clair. She tried asking him about Corona and Royal, but his answer was always the same: "You can ask Royal once you meet him."

With Brenton's _warm_ company, Clair, Bianca, and Azura finally arrived at their meeting place. It was a building far taller and grander than any other they have seen. It was made of stone, but it had intricate carvings all around the structure to make it more extravagant. Clair's group figured out this was probably Royal's home. The front doors were wooden and very large. Brenton pushed them open and led everyone inside.

The inside of the massive building was just one enormous room. It was the entirety of the building's interior and it was filled with many things. Gold. Weapons. Treasures. Food. A lot of things were set into their own section in the large room. In the middle of the room was a large table with three people sitting there and at the end of the room was a gold throne with someone sitting in it.

The three people at the table were all familiar to Clair and her team. Blood, Zinnia, and Ebony Vantablack. All three of them acknowledged Clair and her group when they entered the room. Ebony rose from her seat when her cousin entered and smirked. She was wearing the suit she preferred to wear for business dealings. Clair was not expecting to see her cousin here.

"Well, don't great minds think-" Ebony started, but she was stopped short by Azura.

The angered Cobalt sprinted toward Ebony and threw herself on top of the Vantablack. Ebony landed on the ground, pinned by an angry Azura, but she only smiled at her aggressor.

"Hello, Azura. I've missed you," she said happily.

After the incident in Atlas, Azura viewed Ebony as the enemy. She had a feeling that the charming Vantablack would show up again and do something wicked. Azura raised her fist, but her arm was quickly grabbed and yanked up by Blood. The bat faunus stood at her left with a serious look. He was going to defend Ebony as long as they had their agreement. Zinnia was on Azura's right with her whip sword near her throat. Both were prepared to defend their lady.

"Azura! Stand down!" Clair shouted to her enforcer.

Azura grumbled but did what Clair commanded her to do. She released her hold on Ebony and raised her hands to show she wasn't taking any further action. She stood and walked back to Clair and Bianca who were hastily approaching the table.

The person sitting on the throne said and did nothing as the spectacle unfolded before them.

Zinnia helped Ebony to her feet and Clair walked over to her relative. "I'm sorry for Azura's action. Please, forgive me."

"Think nothing of it. If anything, it's partly my fault. I didn't leave the best impression on her in our previous interactions. This was bound to happen."

"Thank you," Clair said. She glanced over to Zinnia then looked at Blood. Their eyes met for a moment and Clair took in a quick breath.

 _"It's so good to see you again,"_ she thought in her head before walking to the throne.

Azura stood back with Bianca by her side. The gunwoman spoke under her breath so only Azura could hear. "What the hell was that? You're making Lady Clair look bad."

"Come on! It's freaking Ebony! She's working some kind of angle," Azura responded, less discretely.

"Even if she is, it's not your place to attack people out of the blue like that. You're in Lady Clair's employ now. Think rationally," Bianca instructed, ending the discussion before Azura could say more. The female Cobalt was always rough around the edges and Bianca saw it as her role to instruct and educate her new colleague.

Clair stood before the throne and looked at the person sitting there. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Royal."

Royal was a tall, muscular man with tan skin, golden eyes, and long, dark brown hair that reached down to his shoulders. He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Royal barely wore any clothes, well, ordinary clothes to be more precise. He didn't have a shirt or anything covering his upper body which was very muscular and tone. On his muscled arms were golden bands with various jewels in them and brown, clothed arm guards around his arms wrapped down to his hands which also served as fingerless gloves. He had on an armored belt with two strips of purple cloth with gold trim draping over the left and right side of his gold armored pants and boots.

He looked like an indomitable man and the aura he exuded filled the massive room. It was strong. In a way, it reminded Clair and Ebony of Carabosse's aura except his wasn't bone chilling or frightening. His appearance and demeanor showed Royal was a powerful individual.

Royal had his eyes on Clair when she spoke to him. He didn't rise from his throne, but he positioned himself so he faced Clair.

"And you must be Clair de Lune Vantablack. I was told you'd arrive as an envoy for Nexus. And Ebony here has spoken highly of you. I welcome you to my kingdom." Royal's voice was smooth and booming. It demanded his attention.

Clair was a little surprised Ebony said positive things about her, but she was glad. It would help her make a good impression or at least gloss over Azura's outburst.

Royal chuckled loudly before continuing. "And I like the fire in your subordinate. She must keep you well guarded."

"Yes. I'm quite proud of Azura." It was a relief he wasn't offended by Azura's actions. The fact he actually liked it put Clair on a better standing than she thought.

"Have a seat, Clair de Lune Vantablack. Ebony and I were just finishing the pleasantries. The summit between Corona, the kingdom of Vacuo, and Nexus begin now."

Clair took a seat at the table, across from Ebony and her retainers, and Bianca and Azura sat beside her. Royal remained in his throne before beginning the discussion.

"Now that all the guests have arrived, I'd like to ask both parties why they seek out my kingdom?"

"A partnership with the kingdom is a strategic move on your part," Ebony said, faster than Clair could respond. "Corona has become a recognized settlement in Vacuo and an unsanctioned one. The kingdom wishes to acknowledge your city through a partnership."

"Hmm. The kingdom sees us as a rogue state and it sounds like they'll continue to do so unless we accept their alliance. How high and mighty of them," Royal responded sarcastically.

"I can agree with you on that, though I can also understand the kingdom's position. Vacuo is probably the most uncontrollable areas in Remnant and the kingdom is trying hard to keep peace despite its limitations. Corona's sudden emergence and isolation have garnered some worry. Which is why they requested to speak with you and hopefully extend an olive branch."

"I see. They worry I'm a threat. Ridiculous. I've already been given a kingdom. I don't want another."

"Then set the kingdom's mind at ease. Accept their offer and secure yourself a kingdom recognized by all. Corona and the kingdom could be seen as the pillars of order in Vacuo."

Royal remained silent as he thought about what Ebony told him. Clair was rather impressed with how Ebony delegated on behalf of the kingdom. She figured her cousin wanted to be acknowledged by the kingdom in some way to secure her mark in history by creating peace. With Corona being a hot topic in Vacuo her work here will spread.

"Very well," Royal said, after thinking over her proposal. "I'll think about the kingdom's offer, but I have conditions."

"Name them," Ebony responded.

"Corona will keep its independence. Choosing to ally with the kingdom doesn't mean they can come here and start ordering me around. Corona is where I rule. I. Am. King. No one has the right to take that away from," Royal said in a stern tone.

"I'll be sure to let them know," Ebony said with a smile.

"So, the kingdom is offering to acknowledge Corona as a true city. What is Nexus offering me?"

It was Clair's time to negotiate. Ebony quietly observed her cousin/rival to see how she delegates.

"While the kingdom of Vacuo wishes to ally with you for their own benefit, Nexus wants an alliance that benefits both parties. We can provide Corona with weekly food and supplies and Corona can send a representative to sit on Nexus' council to help improve our home."

"Hmm." Royal stared at Clair.

"What she says is true, but an alliance between Corona and Nexus will be bad for both parties," Ebony chimed in while Royal was thinking. Clair eyed her cousin with a less than amused look.

"Two rogue settlements becoming allies will make the higher-ups in Vacuo think they're plotting something. The worst-case scenario would be the kingdom of Vacuo believing Corona and Nexus are trying to amass power to usurp them. A civil war in Vacuo. Thoughts like that can cause unrest which will attract Grimm and even more chaos will ensue in Vacuo."

Azura rose from her seat and glared at the charming Vantablack who ignored her, keeping her eyes on Royal. Zinnia had her hand on her whip sword in case Azura tried something. Bianca nudged Azura's side to get her to stop and the female Cobalt complied. She slumped back in her seat and kept her glare on Ebony.

"I highly doubt that the kingdom even knows this, but Nexus is was created through the collaboration of several settlements, all of which are sanctioned by the kingdom. Settlements aiding an illegally built one can be seen as treason and a united front against the kingdom of Vacuo. Corona being added to the mix will only make things worse for everyone."

In one brief moment, Ebony derailed Clair, and she did it so effortlessly. The rivalry between them was apparent.

"As a king, I'm sure you don't want to put your people in any danger," Ebony continued, but Royal laughed at her words. Her cool demeanor shifted to slight confusion,

"Amusing. As if I care about them. A true king doesn't serve the people. The people devote themselves to the king."

His words were surprising to everyone else in the building. This was not what either Vantablacks or their retainers had expected. Royal got comfortable in his throne so he could continue.

"I did not make Corona because I wanted for them. It was constructed for me. Ever since I was born, I was strong. As I grew, I used that strength to become a Huntsman. My prowess and abilities caught the eyes of many, but during those years of training, I learned I had no desire to be a Huntsman. I did not care for protecting others. So, I came to Vacuo to live for myself. I battled Grimm, people, anything and anyone that stood in my way. And once again, my feats gained the attention of admirers, people who sought my protection or just to be in my presence. I made my home here where ruins once were until my followers began making this very building for my favor. It didn't stop there. They brought food, riches, dust, all manner of gifts for my approval. And in time, they created Corona and declared me their ruler. For my immense strength I was given a kingdom, a kingdom I plan to rule, however way I see fit, and the people here will devote themselves to me regardless of actions or inaction I take. All subjects devote themselves to the king."

Royal's long talk about his past revealed a lot about his character to the two parties. He believed in his own strength, but neither Ebony nor Clair knew if he was egotistical, insane, or both. He was a man who believed himself to be a king because of his strength and nothing else. Royal was very much like a tyrant. Clair was having second thoughts about having someone like him be apart of her Nexus and hoped Ghost was having a better time with his mission than she was.

Brenton looked at Royal in silence with a face that was hard to read. He appeared focused, but his mind was working out a problem only he knew and only he could solve.

 **Setting: Corona**

Outside, Ghost finally made his way to the Coliseum. The arena was enormous and partially filled with people. Many of them were spectators while the rest were in the stadium, battling each other with various weapons. Ghost searched through a bit of the Coliseum, but there was nothing about it that seemed suspicious. Even the competitors were battling in a friendly manner. None of the fighters looked like actual warriors or were preparing for war.

"Huh," Ghost said to himself, realizing there was nothing suspicious going on in Corona.

 _"Nothing weird here. I'll let Clair know when she gets back-"_ Ghost thought until he heard a large explosion.

It didn't go unnoticed by everyone inside Royal's throne room. The conversation was cut short by the sound and rumbling. The first to move was Brenton. The reptilian faunus was near the door, so he quickly stepped out to learn what was going on. Royal finally rose from his throne and marched to the door to deal with what was going on.

Clair's group and Ebony's group remained at the table until Clair got up to follow Royal. Ebony wondered what was about to transpire and got up from her chair. Her team purposely stayed behind to watch things unfold before taking any action.

Ghost climbed one of the coliseum walls to see what was happening. He saw smoke and fire in one direction, near the edge of the city, coupled with the faint screams of people. Ghost scaled down the wall and ran toward the danger, planning to see what was going on before doing anything else.

At the sight of the incident, people were screaming and running while explosions went off and fire consumed the insides of the stone buildings. One of the homes crumbled after something charged into it. Walking out of the smoke was Alexandrite, covered head to toe in purple crystal armor. She was wreaking havoc with a joyous smile. Throwing bombs at the people and buildings was Grayson and he did so mercilessly. Shiranui was standing by the doom buggy with his lantern whip wrapped around their prisoner's neck. The fox faunus dragged the man with no regard for his well-being.

"HEY!" Grayson shouted as loud as he could. "Anyone know where can find Royal!? We need to have a little talk about boundaries!"

* * *

 **Royal is named for the colors of royalty. Purple, gold, blue, emerald and a few others. It fits his self-proclaimed regal status.**

 **Royal is based on Gilgamesh, a historical king, a hero in ancient Mesopotamian mythology, and the main character from the oldest great work of literature in human history, the Epic of Gilgamesh. Like his literary counterpart, Royal is a king and he has become a point of interest in Vacuo. While he isn't a demigod like Gilgamesh, Royal is an incredibly strong individual which will be demonstrated in future chapters. Because of his innate strength, he's very arrogant and has a 'might makes right,' mentality. Despite his attitude, Royal is truly loved by the people of Corona even though their feelings aren't reciprocated.**

 **Brenton Drake name relates to fire. Brenton means Bryni's settlement. Bryni is derived from Bryne which means fire/flame. Drake means dragon which plays into his fire motif and his lizard faunus animal trait. Drake also means male duck, so do with that as you will.**

 **Brenton is based on Mordred, the knight of treachery from Arthurian legends famous for ending the life of the legendary King Arthur. In several stories, Mordred is either the bastard son or nephew of King Arthur. Either way, he shares Arthur's surname, Pendragon, which inspired his faunus heritage and draconic appearance.**

 **Brenton's weapon is a greatsword with a gun mechanism called Oathburner. A fitting name for a character based on Mordred. Oathbreaker is a similar weapon model to Weiss' Myrtenaster though it focuses more on offense than utility. The gun chamber at the hilt allows Oathbreaker to fire powerful torrents of flames for long-range attacks, release fire as he swings, blast out close-range explosions, and more.**


	7. Royal's Battle Royale

**A/N: Happy New Year! 2019 is finally here! As a New Year's gift, this chapter is coming out a few days earlier than planned. I still can't believe I started this series in 2016 and it's still going three years later. I have all of you to thank for your support. VRSZ wouldn't have made it this far without any of you. I hope you continue to enjoy what comes next.**

* * *

 **Setting: Corona**

"Royal! Royal! I'm calling your punk ass out!" Grayson screamed at the top of his lungs as his team continued wreaking havoc on the people of Corona.

Alexandrite destroyed another building by charging through it and Shiranui continued to drag the half-dead man with his lantern whip. The Ravagers were here to retaliate after a militia group attack in Royal's name. Grayson didn't care if Royal didn't order them to attack his home, he wasn't going to let it slide without doing anything. It would be an embarrassing mark on his reputation. He was going to make sure everyone, especially Royal, knew that it was a mistake to cross him.

Grayson pulled out two more bombs and threw them in in a random direction to cause more pandemonium. His actions were causing all the citizens to panic and release more negative emotions. And everyone knew what followed after so much negativity.

Leaning by a building, observing all of the Ravagers' actions was Ghost. He stayed out of sight to see what was going on and he cursed when he saw it was Grayson's group. He hated them. After what he and the others did to Fortuna, Ghost possessed the same feeling Clair, Bianca, and everyone in VRSZ possessed. Pure hatred. He was seething with anger when he saw them, but he wasn't stupid. Confronting all of them was foolish and dangerous. His encounter with Shiranui proved that.

 _"What am I supposed to do?"_

Suddenly, a torrent of flame flew towards the Ravagers and engulfed them in a fiery explosion. Ghost turned to see who attacked them and saw Brenton Drake with Oathburner aimed at the Ravagers. Ghost didn't know who he was and assumed he was either Royal or a guardian, but most of all, he was glad someone stopped their rampage.

The sandy floor where the explosion took place was scorched as well as the destroyed buildings, but the Ravagers were unfazed. Grayson remained where he stood and in front of him was Shiranui. The fox faunus was prepared to defend his leader, but he was also unharmed thanks to Alexandrite taking the fire blast for them. She was still coated in purple crystal armor which protected her from taking any damage though she was sweating from the intense heat of the blast.

Brenton told the citizens to leave the area and they thanked him. The lizard faunus glared at the Ravagers and readied himself for battle.

Grayson walked around Shiranui and Alexandrite and said, "You Royal?"

"No," Brenton said and didn't plan to say anything else.

"Then beat it. We're looking for the boss, not a grunt," Grayson said, but Brenton didn't budge. Grayson sighed, "Whatever, hero. Take him out."

Ever the eager warrior, Alexandrite rushed toward Brenton and Shiranui followed behind her. Brenton was waiting for them to make the first move. The fox faunus attacked first thanks to his long-range weapon. He swung his lantern whip at Brenton with the man still wrapped around it. He used him as a weapon and Brenton was shocked to see a body attached to the whip. He quickly put his greatsword away and grabbed the man when the whip came his way. Brenton was untangling the man from the whip and Alexandrite leaped up to slam her massive halberd down on his skull. It took Brenton a second to untie the man and he quickly jumped backward, narrowly dodging Alexandrite's weapon.

"You move well with a corpse in your arms," Alexandrite commented.

Brenton glanced down and saw this man was in a horrendous condition. He had broken bones and a lot of bruises. He was bleeding from a lot of open wounds around his body. It was too late to do anything. This man was at death's door. It was only a matter of time before this person was going to pass away. The lizard faunus was infuriated.

Shiranui lashed his lantern whip at him a second time, but Brenton raised his arm. The whip wrapped around it and Brenton violently yanked the whip, pulling Shiranui to his location. Alexandrite moved in after Shiranui passed her and planned to strike when there was an opening. With the fox faunus coming his way, Brenton planned to pierce him with Oathburner then set him ablaze. Before he could do it, Shiranui activated Wisp and transformed into a fog of white smoke. He swirled around Brenton, blinding him and making him cough uncontrollably, leaving him open to the bedazzled behemoth.

She slashed upward at Brenton with her halberd, launching him in the air. Shiranui returned to being solid and twirled his whip to strike his opponent while he was still airborne. Brenton quickly recovered in the air and aimed Oathburner at Alexandrite. The gun chamber released another powerful blast of fire, enveloping her in a tower of flame. Her armor protected her, but the heat was wearing her body down.

Brenton landed right next to the fox faunus and swung his sword at him. Shiranui stepped back, dodging the blade by a hair, but the gun chamber was still releasing fire that followed the sword as he swung it. He didn't hit his opponent with the blade, but the flames did reach Shiranui, making him reel in pain. Brenton quickly spun around and aimed Oathburner at Shiranui again. He released a burst of flames, hitting Shiranui point-blank with an explosion.

Immediately after he did this, the fire enveloping Alexandrite died out and she was sweating beneath her armor. She quickly released her semblance, shattering the crystals, to give herself some air.

The fox faunus was sent flying into a building, breaking through it and lying in the rubble. His aura was very low, but he planned to keep fighting if Grayson demanded it. Grayson himself sighed and was ready to fight as well until he noticed someone coming. _"Huh? Can't be,"_ he thought as he reached for his sword.

Coming from behind was Azura. She jumped high above Brenton with her elemental staff cloaked in lightning and brought it down on Alexandrite. However, the bejeweled warrior caught her staff with a hand quickly covered in red crystal. She did so instinctively, not realizing it was Azura. When she got a good look, Alexandrite immediately recognized the Cobalt with an angry look on her face. While Azura was glaring angrily at her, Alexandrite appeared ecstatic.

"Baby-blue! You're alive!" Alexandrite said excitedly, calling Azura by her hated nickname.

The last time she or the Ravagers saw Azura was when they left her to die in that buried temple. Grayson's eyes were on her as well. He was shocked to see her, too, but he figured if VRSZ got out, then she probably tagged along. It didn't change the fact that Grayson planned to kill her for good this time. He wasn't the type of person to leave loose ends.

Grayson hurled two bombs at Alexandrite and Azura. As they flew to their location, Alexandrite used her superior strength to shove Azura back a couple of feet then moved back herself. Her actions revealed to Azura the bombs coming her way. Before she could defend herself, Brenton ran between them and swung Oathburner underhandedly. The flames cloaking the sword spread across the ground, creating a wall of fire that acted as a shield for both of them. The bombs went off when they made contact with the wall which shielded them from the explosion while dispersing the flames.

When the wall of fire fizzled out, Alexandrite was about to make her move until she was hit by a spray of bullets. Half of them were charged with lightning dust and the other half had fire dust. The barrage forced Alexandrite to hunker down to guard herself to construct new armor, pinning her in place. Bianca stood further away from the battle, relentlessly attacking her enemy from a distance to keep her from moving.

Azura and Brenton were about to turn around to see Bianca, but a blur and a force of wind soared past them and Alexandrite. Grayson held up the broad side of his grapple sword just in time block the fist of Blood when he tried to punch him in the face. The anger on Blood's face was obvious and Grayson countered it with a taunting smirk.

"ENOUGH!" Royal's voice echoed throughout the area. Clair and Ebony were beside him and their bodies vibrated from the sheer volume of his voice. Royal truly was the personification of power. His presence demanded everyone to know he was here.

The single word he uttered stopped everyone from fighting. Bianca ceased firing from her Archangels, Brenton lowered Oathburner, and Blood quickly flew back to Ebony's side. Shiranui rose from the rubble, finally coming to, and Alexandrite eyed everyone, ready to fight them all by herself if she needed to. Azura was the only one unaffected by his command. She personally wanted to take down the Ravagers, but realized going against Royal's wishes would make Clair look bad and doubted she could get away with that a second time. Azura grunted to herself then lowered her elemental staff.

Ghost, still perched in his spot, held his breath as he watched everything unfold. He was prepared to leap in when he was needed, but felt now was the worst time to reveal himself.

Grayson stood still, observing Royal and could already tell he wasn't someone to take lightly. He needed to be smart about this. "So, you're the one called Royal."

"And you're the vermin infiltrating my domain," Royal insulted. He looked down on Grayson and the Ravagers.

"This vermin's named Grayson. I'll make sure to carve it into your chest so you don't forget." Grayson kept his hand on his weapon and Royal took notice. He grinned with amusement.

Clair was silently standing with Royal and Ebony, but her body was shaking. Royal was too absorbed with himself, but Ebony had her eyes on her cousin and felt her animosity. The charming Vantablack completely understood why Clair felt this way because she was partly to blame. In front of Clair was Grayson, the man who killed Sterling, her uncle, destroyed her home and made it his own. Not to mention he's always trying to kill Violet and her team.

Clair always thought about what she'd do if she came face to face with Grayson. The last time they saw each other, Clair was shedding tears, mourning her uncle, who died in front of her, and Grayson smiled with satisfaction when he did it. Now, Clair dropped her friendly air when she glared at Grayson, wanting nothing more than to see him dead. This was part of the reason she wanted Violet to train her.

"Tell me, bold one," Royal called out to Grayson. "Why did you and your group come here?"

"Some of your dogs ransacked my home in your name. I'm here for retribution," Grayson answered as Shiranui walked to his side.

 _"It's not your home!"_ Clair grumbled mentally.

"I see." Royal looked at Alexandrite and smiled at her. He watched her battle and enjoyed what he saw. She interested him more than Grayson. Alexandrite looked at him with ambivalence. She didn't know anything about him, but she began to feel his powerful aura and it sent a shiver down her spine.

"Then let's take this dispute to the proper place. Follow me, everyone. All matters will be dealt with in the Coliseum. As the king, I command it," Royal decreed and began walking.

"Your Highness," Brenton called out to Royal. "What about the people who were injured?"

"Forget them. Any with the strength to recover are worthy to remain. Come. We go to the Coliseum."

Brenton growled lowly to himself before walking with his king. He never liked Royal's treatment of the citizen who would die for him. This didn't go unnoticed by Ebony, whose silver eyes were locked onto him. She grinned to herself before following Royal.

Azura kept her eyes on Grayson's group as they walked. She wanted to make sure they didn't try to pull something, but none of them did anything underhanded during the whole walk, which was extremely tense. Bianca walked beside Clair, hands on her shoulders to help her stay calm. She understood that Clair needed support right now, walking beside the killer of her uncle. She'd probably attack Grayson if Bianca wasn't holding her back. Grayson recognized Clair from the destruction of Fortuna, but nothing else. To Clair, Grayson killed Sterling and destroyed her Fortuna. To Grayson, that day was another mission to increase his status.

He did, however, recognize Ebony when he got a good look of her. He remembered her as the girl who was part of Fortuna's downfall and prevented Violet from killing him. He hasn't seen or heard about VRSZ for months and assumed he ran them out of Vacuo. Eliminating all of them would've been preferable, but not seeing them ever again was just as good. Maybe.

 **Setting: Royal's Coliseum**

All of them were in the large arena of the Coliseum with all of the citizens in the spectator seats, prepared to watch what was about to go down. They all cheered for Royal even though he only stood before the others. It showed just how much they adored him. Ghost was in the stands too, sitting close to the arena in case he needed to help Clair, his sister, and Azura.

Clair, Bianca, and Azura stood together in their own area. Ebony and her group did the same as well as Grayson's. Royal and Brenton stood in the middle of them with the former basking in the cheers of the people before calling out to the others.

"Here is where all quarrels and discussion in Corona are dealt with. The one called Grayson. If you want to settle your grudge with me, then do so here. You and your group can face me and fight to your heart's content. It'll end when either side forfeits, dies, or when I judge there's no further reason to battle."

Grayson eyed Royal for any deception in his words, but the man was speaking honestly. This was going to be a straightforward battle. With all these people around, he was going to make sure everyone witnessed how dangerous he was. He planned on killing Royal or at least humiliate him.

"Clair and Ebony Vantablack," Royal addressed them to get their attention. "I have heard both your proposals, but have yet to come to a concrete decision about either. Anyone can say whatever they want in order to get the results they're after. However, one's goals cannot be realized without the strength and power to bring it to fruition. In Corona, strength is the determining factor in many things, including negotiations."

 _"I see where this is going,"_ Ebony thought.

"You two shall participate in this battle as well. Both parties shall face me and I'll decide whose deal is worth my attention. It can be both, one, or neither. This is a free-for-all battle! Let's enjoy ourselves!" The king's true colors were showing.

Royal wanted to battle for the enjoyment of it. That was clear to everyone. Clair saw he was engrossed with strength and how it ruled much of his decision making. She thought he would be a man with a better mentality than this, but that obviously wasn't the case. He was not the type of person she wanted to be associated with Nexus.

The battle to win his favor was pointless to her now. However, there was still something to gain from this situation. Clair wanted to use this as an opportunity to kill Grayson. Bianca had kept her eyes on Clair since their walk to the Coliseum and knew what her friend was going to do. She needed to have her back throughout this fiasco and prevent her from doing something reckless.

Brenton pulled out Oathburner and he was ready to fight against all of them until he felt a large hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Royal. "Sorry friend, but I'm doing this alone. I haven't had a sporting battle in a while and if they prove themselves, worthy opponents, it'll get my blood flowing," Royal said, dismissing Brenton from the battle. The lizard faunus was frustrated, but he did as Royal said and walked to the edge of the arena to watch. This side of his liege was always vexing.

Everyone went further out to their sections of the arena with Royal in the middle. Brenton stood against the wall where he was told to just observe. "Are we ready?" Royal asked. No one said a thing, indicating they were indeed ready. "Begin!" Royal shouted and the crowd roared.

Immediately, Grayson and his Ravagers raced toward Royal, who faced them with a wide smile. Grayson threw a few of his bombs at Royal. They exploded with their intended target within range and smoke surrounded Royal. Alexandrite continued charging forward while Shiranui ran past her to swing his lantern whip. The metal chain reached Royal and wrapped around him while he was still in the smoke. The fox faunus used the fire dust in his weapon to light and cloak his entire weapon in blue fire.

The smoke cleared, showing the lantern whip was wrapped around Royal's arm cloth and it was being burned, but the regal man didn't seem fazed at all. In fact, his pleased look didn't waver. Royal grabbed onto the whip with his other arm and yanked on it harshly, pulling Shiranui toward him, just like Brenton did. He lifted the chain of the whip up, flinging the fox faunus into the air, then swung it down, slamming the wielder down to the ground violently.

Shiranui was down. His aura, already low from his bout with Brenton, broke apart upon impact. He was writhing in pain, losing his grip on his lantern whip which was no longer imbued in blue flames. Royal pulled the lantern whip's chain, jerking the handle from Shiranui's limp hand to Royal's feet. The regal conqueror picked up the handle and looked at Alexandrite, who was already beside him.

She raised a fist covered in blue crystal and punched Royal in the right cheek with all her might. The large man wasn't expecting to be hit in the face. He also didn't expect the punch to hurt that much. Despite Royal's surprise, he was barely blown back by the hit. Alexandrite's strike only forced him to take a single step back. She was surprised and a little impressed. There were very few people who can take a punch from her like that and keep standing.

Both of them were very intrigued by the other. However, Alexandrite failed to notice her body and Royal's faintly glow purple before it faded away.

Royal flung Shiranui's lantern whip and the lantern smacked her in the face. It didn't hurt much, but the surprise attack forced her to take a few steps back to regain her bearings. He swung his leg to kick her and she blocked it with the pole of her halberd. She used this opportunity to punch him again, knocking him back further now that he was on one leg. Alexandrite punched him the exact same way she did before, but she realized something was different: her attack didn't seem to do as much damage as before. She went to punch him a third time and Royal motioned for the same move. Their fists collide and their bodies glowed purple again when they made contact and Alexandrite noticed this time.

"What the hell are you doing to me?" she asked curiously.

"We are fighting on equal footing. Be pleased. How many kings allow those beneath them to fight like this?" Royal boasted and Alexandrite didn't know what he was saying. Brenton knew what was happening. It was Royal's semblance and one of the biggest reasons people love him so much. Whenever Royal makes contact with another person, their natural capabilities are balanced equally. Strength, speed, reflexes, no matter the difference between people, his semblance will always balance the gap.

Royal called his semblance Libra. This allowed even the weakest of people to fight Royal on even terms. He enjoyed fighting his people in the Coliseum and the people love taking their chance to fight the king. It gave them hope they could reach such a level of strength, even though he always won. The only difference between fighters was tenacity. It changed every battle one of attrition and Royal hardly ever tired.

Alexandrite and Royal continue fighting each other. Neither side was weakening or gaining the upper hand. Libra made this an even battle. Grayson watched their fight and planned to intervene to tip the balance. Royal was so enraptured with Alexandrite that he could land a surprise attack. Picking up on his strategy, Ebony told Blood and Zinnia to engage in battle. She needed to display her team's combat skill to get Royal to agree to the alliance with Vacuo's kingdom.

Blood flew toward Royal until he saw something in the corner of his eye. Grayson was ready to toss one of his bombs at Royal and Alexandrite until he felt someone's presence behind him. He quickly turned to see Clair with her pen-sword drawn and aimed to stab him through the back. Grayson quickly blocked her attack with his grapple sword and the two locked eyes.

"The hell do you want? I'm kinda busy at the moment," he told Clair, coldly.

Clair didn't say a word. She was too enveloped in her own anger to respond. All she wanted was Grayson dead for murdering Sterling. Grayson backed away and threw his sword at Clair, but gunfire was heard and the sword was shot out of its thrown path. Bianca already intercepted Grayson's attack and was sprinting in to fight for Clair with her twin, bayonet guns. Azura joined in as well, fending Grayson off with Bianca to keep him and Clair away from each other.

Blood watched Clair's group battle against Grayson. He wanted to enter the fight as well, but he didn't know what Ebony would do to him if he did. He stopped flying and stayed in one spot in the arena. The people were booing him for doing nothing. It didn't bother him. He was making an important decision. He shook his head, clearing any doubts, and flew towards Clair.

 _"Damn if I care what happens to me,"_ he thought as he flew to his old comrades.

Royal and Alexandrite were still fighting each other. Alexandrite struck her opponent with her halberd twice before Royal used Shiranui's lantern whip to attack. She blocked it with her weapon and the whip wrapped around it. Royal pulled the whip hard enough to yank Alexandrite's halberd out of her hand, however, he also put too much force into his action and the lantern whip slipped out of his hands.

Both fighters were weaponless, so they resorted to battling each other the old-fashioned way.

Zinnia entered the fray, aiming her wrist blaster at Royal, firing three shot of lightning dust at him. To everyone's surprise, Alexandrite broke from her fight with Royal to block the attack, shielding him using her body covered in blue crystal armor.

"DON'T INTERFERE!" Alexandrite shouted at Zinnia.

Once again, Royal was very impressed with Alexandrite's warrior spirit. He pretty much forgot about his wagers with everyone and focused solely on Alexandrite, the object of his attention.

"You… you may well be the first person I consider an equal," he complimented before deactivating Libra. The two of them were free to use their real power. "Show me whether that is true."

Royal and Alexandrite, covered in blue crystal armor, ran towards each other with their fists reeled back. The two punched each other again with fists colliding. The strength behind Alexandrite's punch was strong. Royal could tell, but his strength was beyond her expectations. His fist was strong enough to crack the crystal covering her hand which started to shake. She could see he was truly strong. The two smiled at each other before resuming their duel. The crowd was cheering for both Royal and Alexandrite. It was a battle to behold.

Zinnia didn't understand a thing about this situation. Ebony, standing beside her, placed a hand on her retainer's shoulder and shook her head before saying, "Love is complicated."

Bianca was parrying Grayson's grapple sword with the blades on her guns. He was focused on offense while Bianca was trying to keep Clair out of danger, but her liege didn't make it easy. Clair lunged for Grayson. He saw this coming and took a large step to his side to quickly pivot then spin away from Bianca, who took a misstep forward now that his weight wasn't bearing down on her. He planned on striking Clair before she could attack, but Azura backhanded him with a fist. He stumbled a bit before composing himself and saw Azura standing between him and Clair, who only looked more frustrated her enforcers were getting in the way.

"Hmph. I thought you died," Grayson said to Azura before pulling out a handgun he brought with him.

"Don't sound so disappointed. I'm very hard to kill," Azura spat back while activating the lightning dust in her arms which followed down to her staff. Imbued with electricity, she moved to strike. Grayson aimed his gun at her, secretly planning to shoot at Clair behind her, but another gunshot went off. Bianca fired and shot the gun out of his hand. It fell to the ground a good distance away. Bianca fired again and Grayson blocked the bullet with his sword, leaving him open for Azura to move in and attack, or so it seemed. He pulled out five shards of red dust crystals then threw them at her before throwing his sword next. The blade collided with the crystals and they exploded in a fiery blast, launching her away until she tumbled onto the ground head first and she was unconscious. Grayson retracted his sword with the cable and smirked.

"You didn't think I'd walk around with just one weapon? In the words of your dumbass cousin: I leveled up," Grayson ridiculed. He was about to change his attention to Clair until he heard the flapping of large wings. "Shit." Blood flew into the fray to punch Grayson's head off but was met with the broad side of his sword. "You again," Grayson complained before swinging his blade.

Clair was concerned about Azura, but that concern was fleeting as rage overtook her again and she continued her path toward Grayson. Every second she didn't cut him down, her hatred grew stronger. She wanted him dead more than anything. Her recklessness was stressing Ghost out a great deal. He was gripping the stone edge of the arena so hard, he was starting to bleed from his fingers.

Ebony and Zinnia watched everyone's battle, especially Blood's fight with Grayson. Royal and Alexandrite were still fighting each other and the two of them seemed to enjoy it immensely. Their focus shifted to Clair's group battling Grayson and how Blood fought with his friends instead of being by Ebony's side.

"What are you going to do with him?" Zinnia asked Ebony about Blood.

"He isn't doing anything that I particularly dislike, but I will have a talk with him afterward."

Blood and Grayson fought each other while Bianca kept Clair at bay. She had to resort to holding Clair back with force as the Lady of Nexus struggled in her enforcer's grasp. "Stop, Bianca! Let me go!" Clair yelled in the ear of her friend. The once cool and serene Clair was nowhere to be seen and this angered spirit took her place. Bianca ignored Clair and held her back, trying to take as many steps as she could away from the battle. Getting Royal's approval meant nothing now. She didn't care if Clair would hate her for doing this. Bianca wanted her employer and friend safe.

Grayson threw five of his bombs in front of Blood's face. The bat faunus used his wings to fly backward, but the force of the nearby explosion did knock him back and into the ground, making him skid across the ground with his aura taking a hit. Grayson heard the sound of Clair's struggle when he got rid of Blood and he grinned at the sight.

"I GOING TO KILL YOU!" Clair screamed at him.

"What did I ever do to you?" Grayson asked as he walked to his gun.

"You killed my uncle!"

"You're gonna have to be a little more specific. I've killed a lot of people. And I don't really remember any of them."

If Clair wasn't enraged before, she was definitely infuriated now. His blatant disregard for killing Sterling sent her into a frenzy and Bianca was having a hard time holding her back. She was also fighting the urge to shoot Grayson herself after what he said. She knew he deserved it, but putting Clair in danger wasn't worth it. Ghost heard everything and had Purgatory equipped to his hand. He was ready to jump in and rip Grayson's heart out with his clawed hand.

The hatred and rage enveloped the Coliseum and a faint rumbling could be felt from underneath.

Shiranui finally woke up and noticed the battle around him. He saw Grayson surrounded by Clair, Bianca, and Blood, so he quickly got up and ran to fight by his side. Ebony and Zinnia saw this and Ebony nodded at Zinnia, giving her the order to take him out.

Azura was finally coming to as well and she saw the chaos. While still lying on the ground, she felt the ground shake and she didn't know what was causing it. The stone ground beneath them began to crack and break apart in several areas. This caught everyone's attention and Royal cursed to himself. The ground ripped apart and emerging from underground was something Clair, Grayson, or even Ebony expected to see: the creatures of Grimm.

* * *

 **This chapter made me realize that Brenton is the final elemental character I've created. He wields fire, Zelts has wind, Loden is earth, and Turquoise is water. It was never my intention to do this, but it was a happy surprise. Turquoise is the only one who doesn't control her element with a weapon.**

 **Another sub-group in the series is the Zodiacs. Individuals with semblances named after the Zodiac signs. Turquoise is also part of this group. The others are Royal and Lily.**


	8. Love & War

**Setting: Royal's Coliseum**

Emerging from the ground beneath the arena were Grimm like zombies. There was no distinctive pack or group of them. They came in all shapes and sizes as they filled the arena. The people in the stands ceased their cheering when this happened and they fell silent. Ghost was stunned as well. Things were already out of hand this only added fuel to the fire.

Everyone in the Coliseum was shocked and it forced them to stop fighting. Only two people weren't fazed. Royal just looked at the Grimm and sighed in exasperation. The other person unaffected was Alexandrite who used this moment to slug Royal in the jaw with a punch and for the first time in their fight, she knocked him to the ground thanks to her surprise attack. Royal held his chin then looked up at the bedazzled behemoth and he was mesmerized. This was the first time any opponent made him lose his footing. He saw Alexandrite in a new light and with a new emotion.

"You… you are… more than a worthy adversary. You are… my equal!" Royal said as he rose to his feet. He wrapped his hands around a confused Alexandrite and he said two words, "Be mine."

"Hm?" Alexandrite responded.

Her adrenaline was still pumping and his words did make her face feel even hotter. This was an unexpected turn of events she didn't see coming.

"I've never met anyone like you. Someone strong enough not to be my subordinate, but to stand by my side. Alexandrite, join me and I'll give you anything and everything your heart desires."

Alexandrite looked over at Grayson and then at the Grimm until her eyes were back at Royal. "Where do you stand on fighting?" she asked.

"You can choose any challenger. You can fight anyone, anytime, any day. I'll even fight you whenever you wish, as long as I can have you as my queen. Will you be the queen of Corona?" Royal asked, getting down on one knee and keeping hold of her hand.

Alexandrite gazed at Royal for a moment before making her decision. She grabbed his hand, yanked him to his feet and kissed him. The two were wrapped in each other's arms while the Grimm attacked the others.

The monsters made their way to Clair, Bianca, Blood, and Grayson. They were surrounded by over two dozen Creepers, a couple Ursa, and a Deathstalker. Bianca shot several Creepers, killing them to keep them at bay, and Blood started taking out an Ursa with his bare fists, slamming its head into the stone ground of the arena.

"Where'd these things come from!?" Blood asked Bianca.

"Underground? Why is Grimm under the Coliseum?" she asked.

After punching through the head of another Ursa, Blood turned to look at Royal embracing Alexandrite and glared at him. "We might need to ask _'his majesty.'_ "

Grayson wielded his grapple sword and swung at several Creepers. The tiny Grimm were killed easily and Grayson threw his blade at the Ursa's throat. He retracted his sword with his cable, bringing it back to his hand while slicing the Grimm's throat. The bear monster fell to the ground dead. Clair had her pen-sword out and pierced an Ursa through the stomach then repeated the act three more times before it fell. She looked at the area Grayson was in and started heading his way.

"Bianca! Use Stardust and end this already!" Blood told his friend.

Bianca activated Stardust and her hair shimmered. She was about to move around the arena until she noticed Clair try to sneak over to Grayson while he fought Grimm. Bianca cursed to herself and ran to Clair instead of moving around the arena.

Clair was always her priority.

Grayson brought his grapple sword downward, killing a Creeper that vanished in a dark cloud. He got up and suddenly felt his back being slashed. He felt it again before turning around to see Clair with her pen sword. She was going in for a third swing, but Grayson quickly parried it with his sword and swiftly lifted his foot to her stomach and kicked her to the ground. Her rage was keeping Clair from thinking clearly. It prevented her from trying to guard against Grayson's attack.

"You don't know when to quit," Grayson said as he sauntered to Clair.

She was in the middle of getting up until Grayson stomped on her right arm and pinning her to the ground. He had his sword pointed at down at her and he was ready to cut her open.

"Dumb bitch."

Grayson was about to land the finishing blow, but he was attacked on three sides. Blood punched him hard in the face, Azura kicked him with her foot cloaked in lightning dust, and Bianca fired two shots from her Archangels; the first bullet shot the sword out his hand, the second was a fire dust bullet that blew up in his face on impact. Their combined attacks stunned Grayson greatly and Blood's Paralysis slowed him down. Azura and Blood followed up by kicking him in the gut at the same time, knocking him away from Clair who Bianca helped up. The two fighters went over to deal with Grayson, leaving Bianca with Clair.

Bianca's face was distressed. She was absolutely worried about Clair and her concern made her do something she never thought she would ever do to Clair. Bianca slapped Clair hard in the face. Clair's right cheek was red and the pain stung. Her hateful gaze was replaced by complete shock with her eyes moving to look at Bianca who had a sterner look after the deed was done.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but you're not the Clair I know! She wouldn't do such stupid things out of impulse. Snap out of it already! We need the real you back." Bianca told Clair.

The Lady of Nexus shook her head and genuinely looked at her enforcer. She was no longer consumed with rage or hatred. The anger toward Grayson was still there, but it didn't overwhelm her anymore. She was back to her old self and she had Bianca to thank for it.

"Bianca… I'm…" Clair didn't think a simple apology was enough for her behavior.

"I know. And it's okay," Bianca responded with a warm smile. Now, let's figure out our next move."

Meanwhile, Blood and Azura were trying to kill Grayson, but they were having trouble doing it. Knowing full well he couldn't take the two of them down with sacrifice, Grayson ran away from them, moving to areas where most Grimm was and used them as decoys.

Ebony and Zinnia were about to apprehend Shiranui until the Grimm emerged and they were left to fend for themselves, leaving the fox faunus to move around the arena to grab his lantern whip and reach Grayson. Ebony used Trois Reines in spear form to impale a Creeper and shot another Ursa dead with her sheath as a rifle. Multiple Grimm were being cut in half by Zinnia twirling her whip blade around her then shot it out in one direction. The blade ran through six Grimm before Zinnia retracted the elongated blade. This was child's play for them.

Approaching the both of them was a Deathstalker with several other Grimm, but above them was Brenton Drake. He brought Oathburner down on the Deathstalker's skull then the area was consumed in fire, burning all the nearby Grimm while Brenton stood atop the vanishing corpse of the Deathstalker.

Ebony watched the lizard faunus and she grinned to herself. She found another candidate.

"Grayson!" Shiranui shouted out to get his attention.

Grayson threw three bombs at Blood and Azura while they were combating Grimm and he got all of them. His explosion was able to kill the Grimm and blast the two fighters further away while damaging their aura. Grayson was glad because his own aura levels were too low.

Shiranui was beside him and Grayson noticed Alexandrite and Royal fighting Grimm together. She seemed to be enthralled with Royal and vice versa.

"Turncoat," he said under his breath.

"What do we do now?" Shiranui asked. "This is getting chaotic."

"We leave. Royal, Alexandrite, and that bitch will get what's coming to them. Let's get out of here," Grayson told him then lifted his sword.

He threw his grapple sword into the crowd who moved away from the weapon. It stuck itself into the stone seating and Grayson used the cable to pull himself to the sword, ziplining out of the arena. His movements were a little sluggish due to Blood's Paralysis, but he managed to escape without difficulty. Shiranui followed on foot and jumped on top of a random Ursa's back then jumped off it to reach the stands.

The Ravagers left the Coliseum and fled Corona.

Clair watched them leave as Blood and Azura failed to give chase. Their escape was unfortunate, but the Ravagers weren't her concern anymore, even if they shouldn't have been in the first place. Her head was clear now thanks to Bianca and she knew the Grimm needed to be eliminated. But a question arose from this task. Where did the Grimm come from?

"Royal has a large underground chamber beneath the Coliseum. He keeps them there so he can fight them later. It's sick," Brenton told Ebony, spitting at the last part.

Ebony's eyes were on Brenton then she glanced over at Royal fighting with Alexandrite. She saw Royal as a truly dangerous man. Too dangerous for her peaceful methods of immortalization.

While she did this, Brenton resumed fighting, cutting and burning down Grimm with Oathburner, and so was Zinnia who used her whip blade to attack Grimm. She was further away from Ebony, but the length of her weapon helped her attack Grimm that tried to strike Ebony.

A Creeper tried to bite Zinnia when she had her whip blade extended, but she shot out the blade in her wrist weapon and the Grimm charged straight into it, the blade sticking out of its back.

The battle overall was going very well. Most of the Grimm were eradicated and the crowd was just enjoying the show, except Ghost who kept his eyes on his half-sister and Clair. A majority of the Grimm were eliminated by the new couple in the arena, Royal and Alexandrite. They did so recklessly, but both of their raw strength was so great that they could afford to throw caution to the wind. Alexandrite rammed her crystal-covered fist through an Ursa while Royal crushed the skull of a Creeper against another. Most of the crowd's cheering was for them.

There were only a few stragglers left and no one was badly injured despite the numbers against them. It was relieving to know the threat was subsiding, or so everyone thought.

A large, bone-covered claw rose from beneath the Coliseum, breaking apart more of the arena. It slammed onto the ground and lifted the rest of its body from the floor below. Everyone watched as the Grimm's full body came into view.

Its body was pitch-black, like all Grimm, and it had bone plating along its body. The Grimm had the body of a feline, like a lion, but the large forearms of a gorilla. The face was covered in bone plating that made it look like a lion's and the bone spikes around the neck made the Grimm look like it had a mane. The Grimm also had horns similar to a ram sticking through the bone skull. The arms had bone plating and they were mostly red, including the claws. The bones on its back made it look like the Grimm's spine was sticking out and the tail was long with the end covered in bone plating on the top with red marks looking like eyes. The monster could stand on all four legs, but when it stood on its hind legs, it was six stories tall. All eyes were on it and the people in the crowd were silent.

Clair has never seen this Grimm before, but she was well versed with Grimm. She knew what this type of Grimm was called based on its physical characteristics. This was known as a Chimera.

The Chimera roared when it was out of the hole. Its bellow thundered throughout the Coliseum and around Corona. Clair and her group gathered together and so did Ebony's. Brenton ran to the stands and shouted at the people to leave so they could be safe. The people panicked and fled the Coliseum in a great mob, but their fear drew the Chimera's attention. It raised its arm to attack the people still fleeing the stands but was hit in the face by gunfire.

The one who attacked it was Ebony with her scabbard rifle. She succeeded in getting the Chimera's attention and the monster left the people alone. Zinnia and Blood moved in to fight with their liege. Zinnia wrapped her whip blade around the monster's legs and Blood flew in its line of sight, making sure he was the center of its attention.

Royal watched with zero concern then looked over to Alexandrite. "Shall we, my queen? This Grimm has proven to be a challenge, at least to get it into its cage. It'll be the first of our many victories."

Alexandrite didn't say anything. She flashed him a smile then used her semblance to cover her hands and halberd in crystal colored green. She threw her weapon at the Grimm and it landed in its chest where it remained.

Royal was happy no words were needed between them. She completely understood. Using the strength in his legs, he jumped up toward the Chimera's chest and landed a solid punch next to the crystalized weapon. The force of the impact and Zinnia tying its legs forced the Grimm to fall backward.

Clair's group was behind the Chimera and they moved out of the way as the Grimm fell down, partially landing in the stands, breaking the stone area apart. A loose chunk of stone went flying from the stands and was going to hit Clair who wasn't aware of it because she was focused on avoiding the Grimm. She turned to the direction of the large rock, but she was too slow to react. However, the large stone landed behind her, going through her to reach its destination. Standing by her side with a clawed hand on her shoulder was Ghost, using Spectre to make them both intangible.

"Thank you, Ghost," Clair told her friend.

His intervention was seen and acknowledged by Royal who looked at them with a disapproving face. It was clear Clair came here with more people than agreed to and the fact he hasn't appeared until now told Royal she had an agent infiltrate and spy on his kingdom. He was not pleased with this turn of events.

He forcefully pulled Alexandrite's halberd out of the Chimera's chest then leaped off the Grimm, returning to Alexandrite's side. She was about to continue the fight but was held back by Royal putting his arm in front of her.

"What're you doing!?" Alexandrite shouted at him and he smiled. He liked her warrior's spirit.

"We'll stay out of this for now. Let them finish each other and we'll deal with the victor," Royal answered.

He wanted Clair to struggle for her disregard for his terms. No one goes against his wishes. Royal was king.

The Chimera rose from being knocked down and its eyes were on Ebony and Zinnia. Blood flew behind it and moved in to play as a distraction again. The Grimm stood on four legs and Blood was still facing its back, however, the Chimera's tail began to squirm. The tail separated and unhinged itself, like a jaw. The red marks on the tail were in fact eyes, eyes that were looking directly at Blood. It looked was like a smaller version of a King Taijitu.

The bat faunus didn't notice as he soared directly to the Chimera's backside and the tail swiftly lunged for him. Blood was so shocked by the tail having a mind of its own and moving in to strike him that he was barely able to dodge it. He does a barrel roll to narrowly avoid the snake tail from biting him, but the Chimera raised its huge, clawed paw and swatted Blood out of the sky, like a cat batting a bug.

Blood was laying on the ground with his face in the dirt and the Grimm immediately slammed its clawed hand onto his back and lower half of his body. He groaned in pain and tried to power his way out of the Chimera's pin. His wings were underneath the Chimera, so he couldn't use them to fly away. The Grimm raised its other paw and was prepared to slice Blood in two. The Chimera kept its eyes on Blood to watch him die, but it felt its head being burned and cut at the same time.

From the beast's left side, Zinnia shot out her whip blade, trying to take out its eye, but the blade cut the bone around it, breaking it apart and leaving a scar just above her intended target. A large fireball was hurled at the Chimera's right side, consuming the majority of its head in flames and leaving scorch marks all over it. This was done by Azura with her arms lit by fire dust.

Their combined attacks stopped the Chimera from following through with its attack, but it still had Blood pinned down. He wasn't lying on the ground and waiting for someone to rescue him. Squirming underneath the Chimera's claw, Blood has been repeatedly tapping it with his only free hand, slowing the Grimm's movements each time with Paralysis. The Chimera was moving incredibly slow. Its other arm was still in the air and it brought the arm down at snail's pace. The danger of Blood losing his head was gone, however, the danger wasn't gone.

The Chimera's mouth glowed from an ominous coming from its throat. It opened its mouth with smoke coming out with the smell of fire and brimstone. Unfortunately, the party just learned that Chimera's can breathe fire. It was about to let its flames loose on everyone in the Coliseum and it aimed it at Zinnia, but another powerful torrent of flame went to the Chimera's. It collided with the Chimera's and easily eclipsed it, piercing the flames and going straight into the Chimera's mouth. It flames burned the inside of the Grimm's maw and it reeled in pain, but very slowly. Paralysis prevented it from moving fast enough to put out the fire or writhe in pain. The person who dealt such a crushing blow was-

"Brenton! Stand down! Leave this to them!" Royal commanded loudly. His voice filled the entire coliseum. Brenton, who had Oathburner aimed at the burning Chimera, grunted his teeth and did as his king ordered, even if he was against this. Allowing this fight to continue served no purpose. The lizard faunus was really having a hard time keeping his frustration in check. Ebony looked over at Brenton, seeing his repressed emotions with ease, and smiled. She was right about her earlier assumption. He was the next one.

Clair and her enforcers moved in to help their friend and former ally, as well as Ebony and her retainers. Blood, the link between both parties, brought them together to face this enemy. While the Chimera was still slowly lowering its head to the ground smother the fire but found Azura standing below with her fist and wind swirling around it. The Sky-Blue Warrior delivered a satisfying uppercut to its jaw and the wind dust propelled the Grimm's head upward, forcing it to stand upright, and lifting its claw off of Blood.

The bat faunus moved out of the way and Ghost activated the ice dust in Purgatory as he ran toward Azura. She cloaked her hand in wind dust again and lowered it for Ghost to jump and land on it with one foot. Like a trampoline, Azura launched Ghost at the Chimera with her wind sending him soaring like a missile. He activated Spectre with the ice in his gauntlet still active and phased through the torso of the Grimm. He passed through without a problem, but the chest and back of the Chimera he phased through began to freeze over and it was spreading.

Bianca activated Stardust and the shining particles from her hair spread around her before she moved them around the Grimm. Blood and Azura moved away from the Stardust, Ghost phased through the wall to avoid what was coming next, and the Chimera was moving a little faster now that Paralysis was beginning to wear off. Before it could do anything, Zinnia shot out her whip blade and wrapped it around the monster's leg before tugging and her weapon, tying it up and forcing it to fall to the ground.

The Stardust particles were all around the Chimera and Bianca already had her gloved hand, shimmering with ice dust, at the ready. She snapped her fingers and the particles turned to icy wind and began to swirl around the Grimm, surrounding it in an arctic storm. When it dispersed, the Chimera's body was white and completely covered in ice and frost. It laid motionless on the ground for a few seconds before it started twitching.

The Grimm's throat glowed again as it prepared to release another breath of fire on any who were in its line of attack, however, a bright light shined from the Grimm's right side and it seemed to howl in pain and fear instead of unleashing its burning breath. The light was too bright for anyone to see where it came from and it dimmed out too fast for them to notice either. Immediately after the light shined, two blades stabbed into the throat of the Chimera. Ebony with her spear on the left side and Clair with her pen-sword on the other. The Grimm roared in pain before its movements finally ceased. The Chimera was dead. Finally.

Its body vanished in the black fog all Grimm faded into, and both parties were relieved the crisis was over. Clair retracted the blade of her weapon and Ebony shifted her spear back into a sword. Both Vantablacks put their weapons away and released a big sigh simultaneously. The Chimera's body faded away completely, leaving Clair and Ebony to stand before each other. They stared at each other for some time, both of them deep in thought, as if they were having a conversation with their eyes.

Clair also noticed something peculiar about Ebony's eyes. They were shimmering, shining usually bright before fading back to normal. The light in them looked just like that bright, silver flash everyone saw moments before they took down the Chimera. She wondered if it was Ebony's semblance.

This lasted for a while until the presence of Royal was felt by everyone. He approached both parties, his expression changed from amusement to indifferent as the battle came to a close. Alexandrite was walking by his side, already feeling familiar with him and hoping they'd fight everyone else. Her thirst for combat was apparently unrivaled. Brenton near the wall of the Coliseum, but had his hand on Oathburner's hilt in case his majesty was going to start another battle. He really wished Royal wouldn't keep the fight going. Enough damage was done to Corona.

Royal stood a respectful distance between the Vantablack girls and still looked apathetic. Neither girls knew what he was going to say or if he wanted them to initiate, so they just waited for him to say something. Zinnia and Bianca were both wary of Royal. If he tried anything, they were prepared to protect their lieges.

"This discussion has come to its conclusion," Royal stated for all to hear. Clair blinked and did so again as she absorbed what he just said. He called this battle a discussion. That did not sit well with her.

"And what does this mean?" Clair asked cautiously.

He looked at Clair with a disgusted face then eyed Ghost for a brief moment until his gaze returned to her. "You clearly broke our agreement on having only two bodyguards. Since he wasn't in your company, I can only assume you sent him to spy." Clair couldn't deny his suspicions and she didn't want there to be business between Nexus and Corona anymore. It would only hurt her new home.

"There will be no alliance between Corona and a settlement of underhanded cowards." His declaration was meant to insult Clair, but she was relieved. Royal turned to Ebony. "Tell the kingdom my terms. If they agree, we'll talk later."

"Sure," Ebony replied. With her confirmation, Royal turned around and walked away.

"Come, Alexandrite. Let me show you around your new kingdom. I want the people to know who their new queen is." Royal wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her out of the Coliseum. She wanted to fight, but hearing him call her queen was pleasing. It was certainly better than being a Ravager. She silently agreed and walked with him.

With their departure, the meeting between the three parties came to an abrupt end. This was not the norm for negotiations, Clair and Ebony knew this, but they've also learned that Royal is far from ordinary.

Brenton followed after Royal, but Ebony quickly walked over to him. Zinnia trailed behind her to make sure he didn't try anything. "Brenton, can we talk?"

The lizard faunus turned to Ebony with an exasperated expression. "What is it? I have to go soon."

"To make sure the people are okay or to quietly babysit a man who doesn't care about anything but himself?" she asked and Brenton was quiet and avoiding her gaze. "You don't like how he operates. It's clear to everyone, but him. So, why don't you think about leaving him?"

"You say that like there aren't any consequences. The people here would be worse off if I wasn't here. I make sure they're okay because, well, he isn't," Brenton admitted and Ebony listened.

"You wish he were more responsible…" Ebony paused, "You prefer to work with someone who is caring."

"Not really caring: just mindful. And you don't work with Royal, you work for him."

Brenton felt Ebony's hand on his shoulder and saw her look at him with a smile. "If you ever feel like working _with_ someone more to your standards, give me a call." She pulled his scroll out of his pants pocket and put her number into his contact list. "I'll be here to get you in a heartbeat."

Ebony was too close to Brenton's liking. He could feel her breath on his skin and he took a small step back. He did, however, consider her offer. Her number was in his scroll when she gave it back to him and he felt like keeping it. Zinnia watched Ebony try to recruit him and acknowledged how effective her method was. She also noticed how Ebony was scanning Brenton up and down. Her liege couldn't help herself when she found a handsome guy.

Clair decided now was the best time to leave.

"Thanks for your help," Clair said to Blood, shaking his hand, "It was nice to have you by my side again."

"I feel the same." Blood shook her hand. He tried to break from the shake, but Clair wasn't letting go of his hand. She didn't want to part with him yet. He could tell from the firmness of her grip that she missed him a lot. Blood felt the same way, but he was still bound to Ebony.

"Clair," he called out to her.

"I don't want to let go…" she said with her head down so he couldn't see the pain in her face and the tears well up in her eyes.

"Neither do I, but this won't be the last time we see each other. I promise I'll come back and be by your side. Someday."

She believed him. Clair had faith they would be together again. She lifted her head to show Blood she was okay, even though a single tear already fell from her eye. It didn't dissuade either of them. Their friendship could withstand this separation no matter how long it would be.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

With all the twists and turns that have happened, today seemed like a very long day. The sun was just starting to set as both Vantablack parties were preparing to leave Corona. Clair couldn't wait to never come back, but Ebony believed there was much to be done here.

Blood was preparing the airship to take them back to the kingdom and Zinnia was in the common area with Ebony, standing by a window and looking out at Corona while her liege was sitting down around the coffee table with a drink in her hand. The two of them were just waiting to take off when they heard the sound of footsteps against the steel floor. Ebony knew who it was and called out, "Blood, did you get the auto-pilot work-"

She stopped when she saw the person entering the common area wasn't Blood. Zinnia was surprised as well when she turned to see Clair standing before them.

The Lady of Nexus had a calm expression and her eyes were solely on Ebony. There was no sign of anger, fear, or even happiness in them. Ebony couldn't get a read on her cousin. She didn't know what Clair was going to do next and it concerned her a little until Clair finally spoke.

"We need to talk."


	9. Cousins

**Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Ebony and Zinnia stared at Clair curiously. The young woman walked into her cousin's airship and requested to speak with her, doing so with none of her enforcers by her side. The charming Vantablack remained silent as she gawked at Clair, after hearing her demand.

"I said I want to talk to you. Is that okay?" Clair asked a second time, snapping Ebony back from her lofty state.

"A-ah sure. What would you like to discuss?" Ebony asked, composing and bracing herself for whatever comes next. Clair flicked her eyes over at Zinnia and Ebony understood what it meant. "Zinnia, could you be a dear a give us the room? This is a family matter."

"Very well," Zinnia answered and walked out of the common area. She gave them the room, but Clair and Ebony could guess the Underland known as the Paragon was nearby in case, she was needed.

Clair took a seat on a chair on the other side of the coffee table and facing Ebony. Her face was still unreadable to Ebony and she didn't like being unable to assess the situation and plan out the outcome: a true Vantablack trait.

"You work for the kingdom now? Congratulations," was the first thing Clair said to her cousin and it was genuine. "It's rare to find people who find work like that so quickly. I'm very impressed."

"…Thank you," Ebony responded, "It means a lot coming from you." She smiled and Clair smiled back.

These two were trying to speak with one another on a familial level. This appeared to be a normal conversation among cousins to some random stranger, but the smallest bit of tension still lingered in the air.

"Though, I wouldn't say I'm working for the kingdom. It's more like I'm working alongside them for the time being."

"A temporary partnership?" Clair asked.

"Can't stay here forever," Ebony retorted with a sly smirk before sipping her drink.

"If you plan on leaving, does that mean you'll be taking Blood along with you?"

"Ah… That's the reason you're here."

"It's one of the questions I've been wondering about," Clair admitted.

"I see. First off, the answer to your first question is a complete unknown. I don't know how long I'll stay in Vacuo nor what happens between that time. There is a condition to break him from out agreement, but I won't tell you," Ebony said the last part quickly when she saw Clair about to ask. "It's cheating if I tell you." She smiled coyly.

Clair silently agreed to that and asked her second question: "We had the same goal today, but that won't be the case forever. What do you plan to do with me?"

"Nothing," Ebony answered quickly.

"I have a hard time believing that after what you did to Fortuna and what you did with Violet. It's hard not to see you as a potential enemy," Clair answered back with a slight edge in her voice.

"We both know I'm not the reason for Fortuna's end, but I'm also not blameless. Please remember this: I am not Carabosse. I have no desire to seek your misery or to go out of my way to harm you. And I took Violet away to protect her, the rest of her team, and you. If word got out that VRSZ was still with you after the destruction of Fortuna, Grayson and his Ravagers would search for them and try to kill them, not caring who dies along with them. During the time VRSZ was in Atlas, did you ever encounter the Ravagers before today?"

Ebony answered the first question truthfully, but she was partially lying about the second part. Mixing fact with fiction made the lie harder to discern, even for Clair. The Lady of Nexus believed her cousin's answer because it made sense to her.

"When I was in Atlas, I met with the other members of my family. They had nothing but praise for you. After hearing about everything you've done, you've earned my respect."

Clair looked into Ebony's silver eyes and could tell her statement was true. It was…unexpected. She was not prepared to hear that.

"I want to make sure you know this because we're going to be butting heads in the future. Our jobs are going to force us to butt heads, so I needed that out in the open, okay?" Ebony said and it seemed like she was a little embarrassed saying it out loud. Her face was a little red and she refused to look Clair in the eye. This behavior actually made Clair chuckle a little bit.

The little tension remaining in the room was vanishing. The Vantablack cousins were having a nice time together. Neither of them knew how many of these moments they'll have again.

"It's my turn to ask you a question. What do you plan to do about the Ravagers?" Ebony asked.

Clair's smiled shifted to a flat line in an instant. Just mentioning the name seemed to be a taboo. "I plan on killing Grayson. That's all." Her answer was very brief and simple. Too simple for someone like Clair.

Ebony arched an eyebrow at her answer. This was a very different way of thinking Clair was known for. The charming Vantablack was about to speak against her plan, but her eyes widened and she stopped herself.

She just thought of a plan. A meticulous plan that would ensure her goal, but it would anger Clair greatly. It didn't take her long to decide to accomplish her dream was more important than Clair's temporary anger. It had to be done.

"Please be careful. Grayson and his team have become a real threat to everyone," Ebony said, choosing to let Clair have her vendetta. Her cousin nodded and they were silent. What else was left to be said?

"Can I ask you one more thing before I go?" Clair asked.

"Anything."

"Why are you trying so hard to be remembered?" This question made Ebony visibly uncomfortable. She squirmed a little bit in her seat and scratched her head before saying anything. Clair watched her and wondered if she shouldn't have asked. It didn't seem like a hard question.

"Before our aunt found me, I had no idea I was part of the Vantablack family. My parents wanted to leave their past behind them and start a new life. During that time, I read about legends of Huntsmen and Huntresses and how people praised them. Death couldn't stop them from remaining in this world. I want that. No one can't stop themselves from dying and I want to be forgotten. I want my life to have an impact strong enough for people to keep me in their minds. I can continue to live on through them."

Clair was surprised, but she kept it hidden behind a neutral face. She reacted this way because she found Ebony's motives to be true and very common. A lot of people are afraid of dying and being forgotten. This was a natural fear and Ebony was trying to overcome it. Clair had a better understanding of her cousin.

"Please say something," Ebony was blushing from embarrassment again, "You're making my dream sound kind of lame when you don't respond."

"No… there's nothing wrong with what you want. I'm just realizing that" Clair chuckled. She rose up from her seat and said, "Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, especially after everything that has happened today. My heads a little clearer now."

"Happy to hear it," Ebony said then smiled.

With their conversation over, Clair walked out of the common area. It was time for her and her party to return home.

"Clair," Ebony called out when her cousin was at the common area's doorway. "Our titles are going to force us to sometimes fight each other." Clair understood that well.

"And because of that, there's I need to tell you,"

The Lady of Nexus looked at the charming Vantablack, waiting to hear her parting words.

"…Be ready," Ebony told Clair with resolve and a smile. Her face showed she meant it and was prepared for whatever outcome was laid out for them. To say Clair was astounded by Ebony's bravado was an understatement, however, it didn't scare her one bit.

"I welcome the challenge." Clair smiled back at Ebony before leaving. Both parties departed Corona to return to their respective homes.

Clair de Lune Vantablack. Ebony Vantablack. The rivalry between them begins now.

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

The fractured moon was in the night sky, illuminating the vast desert, making the ruined city almost look beautiful. It was around nightfall when Grayson and Shiranui returned to their base. The two entered the destroyed building of Concordia and Grayson kicked a rock out of anger. The small stone flew across the room and smacked into a wall. The fox faunus glanced over at his friend, noticing how angry he was with today's outcome. Not only were they forced to flee, but Alexandrite abandoned them with ease.

"Grayson," Shiranui called out, hoping to find a way to calm him down. Grayson was still fuming and threw his grapple sword in rage. It stabbed into a stone pillar and remained there. He turned to Shiranui with a scowl.

"We're going to kill that backstabbing bitch! Sooner or later, she's dead."

"Maybe we should take a step back first and-"

"Alexandrite betrayed us and we ran away! Alexandrite and Royal are going to get what's coming to them!" he said furiously, but Shiranui wasn't standing down.

"I'm aware. I'm not saying we let it go... we take our time and make a plan. It's already proven that we can't go in and start attacking. We'll find a way to take them out, just not now." Shiranui's words didn't quell Grayson's anger completely, but he was more composed than before. He realized that his partner was right about favoring strategy over being rash.

Before Grayson could say anything, someone entered the building. Shiranui had his lantern whip ready and Grayson believed he found someone to unleash his remaining anger on, but that changed when he recognized who walked in. The person of interest was Vago. This was someone Shiranui didn't know and he was someone Grayson wasn't expecting to see again.

"This is a surprise," Grayson said. His familiar tone told Shiranui that Grayson knew this person. He lowered his weapon as they resumed their conversation.

"I told you I wouldn't come back unless I got something you want," Vago bragged, strutting toward Grayson like he was untouchable. This didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"And it better be worth my time. I've kind of had a bad day and I don't have time to deal with nonsense." What did you get me?"

"Information," Vago answered. "I learned about something that'll interest you greatly." Vago was clearly milking this and Grayson had enough of it.

"Are you gonna say it or am I gonna-"

"Team VRSZ is back," Vago interrupted, "I ran into a few of them earlier today." Grayson was silent after he heard those words. He never imagined he'd hear about them again. They've been gone for months and now they're back. How long have they been back? Were they coming for revenge? These thoughts and several others plagued his mind while he was visibly unnerved.

Shiranui watched how Grayson reacted to this news and wondered what he was thinking. He always had a fixation on VRSZ, especially Violet, which could alter his decision making. He told the fox faunus weeks ago that he planned to return to Mistral and work as a professional mercenary after cleaning up some loose ends. Team VRSZ was Grayson's biggest loose end. There was no way he was going to leave while they were still around. It would look like they ran him out of Vacuo which would ruin his reputation once he reached Mistral.

Vago just observed Grayson, waiting to hear if he was part of the Ravagers. He couldn't care less how Grayson felt. He just wanted to be a part of the team. "Can I take your silence as a welcome? Am I in or what? I went through a lot to get this information."

Grayson was still quiet, but he was on the move. He was walking to a random chair in the abandoned office building. "Congratulations. You are officially a member of the Ravagers, he said as he walked to a chair. Vago grinned to himself. Shiranui was weary of the recent recruit, but he also realized they are in need of more members. Even with Alexandrite, they were understaffed now that they controlled a city and they need more, much more. Grayson sat in his chair and looked grimly at Shiranui and Vago.

"Where is VRSZ?"


	10. A Pirate's Life for Me

**Setting: Nexus**

On the day Clair and her enforcers were leaving for Corona, the members of VRSZ were there to see them off. Silver was pecking Bianca on the cheek with Ghost looking at the display of affection with disgust. Zelts chuckled at Ghost because he knew the young man was jealous and missed Sapphire. Remus was bidding his cousin farewell and Violet was wishing Clair luck.

The Lady of Nexus told Violet about her diplomatic mission, however, she withheld the fact she was also going to spy. She knew Violet would want to help, and so would her team, but such a big group would draw too much attention and go against Royal's demand for only two bodyguards. Not to mention diplomacy was not Team VRSZ's area of expertise. Clair's airship took off with VRSZ watching.

They had their mission, but VRSZ had their own matters to take care of. The team received two requests from two members of the Nexus council. Percy and Chartreuse asked for their assistance at the same time. The former needed them to head to Oasis and deal with a horde of persistent Grimm near the resort settlement and the latter wanted their help in dealing with a group of raiders terrorizing and plundering ships. The team needed to split into two groups to tackle both missions.

How the team separated wasn't an issue for any of them. Chartreuse specifically asked for Zelts and Silver was more than eager to join him. He always had a fascination with pirates, so this mission was his dream made real. This left Violet and Remus to handle Percy's mission and Violet actually welcomed it. Once they were finished, she and Remus could spend some time together at a resort settlement. Every one of them believed today was a good day.

Violet and Remus took the hovercar and drove to Oasis while Silver and Zelts got on Chartreuses' airship and flew to Treasure Trove Wharf.

 **Setting: Open Skies**

The seafaring captain had her airship piloted by her crew who seemed to be capable of operating in the sky as well as they could on the sea. A lot of them appeared to have a no-nonsense kind of behavior which was to expected with the job they had, though some joked around with each other, a sign of comradery, showing they had weathered a great deal together and have a deep level of trust. Zelts could see this as he walked around the airship. He felt like he was watching himself with his teammates.

He found his way to the deck where Chartreuse was standing. She looked out the large windows to observe the sky until she noticed Zelts walking to her side. She smiled at the young man as he approached. Her friendly appearance was welcoming, but it made Zelts wonder why she liked him so much.

"It's good to have you with us, Zelts. I consider it an honor," Chartreuse complimented. Her words were very honest and they embarrassed him a little.

"…Yeah, but I don't really get it. I appreciate how you feel, but I don't know what I did that you like so much."

"After Ms. Vantablack told us about you and your team, I asked about your past endeavors. Out of all the stories I heard, you impressed me the most. You're very stalwart and honorable. A man people can depend on. Those are qualities I liked about you," Chartreuse explained.

"R-really? Thank you." Zelts was a little flustered now. He didn't know his exploits garnered such respect. It felt nice.

"Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me!" Zelts and Chartreuse heard the shanty behind them. They found Silver singing and walking with a skip in his step. He hasn't stopped smiling since he got on the airship. The captain raised an eyebrow at his odd behavior.

Chartreuse held some admiration for Zelts, but Silver was different. Every time she glanced at him during the ride, she watched him with a puzzled look. Zelts could see it, but he also noticed there was no disdain in her eyes. He guessed if she learned about his past, then she knows about Silver's criminal background. Chartreuse didn't hate Silver but also didn't hold the same respect for him she had for Zelts. It wasn't a concern, but something he took note of, even if Silver didn't.

The captain shifted her gaze from Silver to Zelts. "Are you sure he'll be able to fulfill this mission? He doesn't appear to be… the reliable type," she said just as the two of them watched the gunman skip and prance around the deck before leaving.

"I know he can act like… well… Okay, I can admit he's a bit much sometimes, and a bit of a… Just trust me. Silver's proven to me time and time again that he's got my back," Zelts defended his teammate and close friend.

Chartreuse returned to looking at the window with Treasure Trove Wharf in sight. "I will take your word for it, but I want his actions to speak for him. The same goes for you, Zelts. During this mission, I want you to prove me right about you and I want Silver to prove me wrong. That's what I want after this ordeal."

The airship arrived in Treasure Trove Wharf, landing in the only docking area in the mid-sized settlement. Chartreuse walked away from the window and told her men to get out and prepare her ship for departure. Off one ship and onto another. The mission to apprehend the pirates will begin as soon as they went out to sea.

Zelts walked out of the airship as well, but he was searching for Silver too. He found the gunslinger on the way out of the airship and he still had that merry, goofy expression on his face.

"I know he's happy about pirates, but can at least look like he's taking this seriously," Zelts thought to himself.

"Hey, could you do me a favor and hold your happiness back a little?" Zelts asked, hoping he didn't offend his friend.

"Why?" Silver replied quickly.

"Chartreuse doesn't think you're taking her request seriously."

"Then I will show her that I got the skills to pay the bills," Silver said humorously.

"Hmm… I'm surprised. I thought you'd say you didn't care what she thinks or something."

"Zelts, people who say they don't care about what others think of them, then do cool things to impress those around them, care about what people think of them. They're the biggest posers in the world and I'm not like that…anymore."

The knight was actually impressed with the gunman's reply. He realized Silver has grown so much since the first day he met him and they became part of a team. Back then, he was obnoxious, self-centered, and a jerk. But now… yeah, he's still a little obnoxious, but he's not a self-centered jerk anymore. He's matured a lot and Zelts was proud of him.

He chuckled at Silver's remark and at his own personal thoughts before saying, "Alright. Let's show those pirates what we got."

 **Setting: Treasure Trove Wharf**

The port settlement was just as Silver and Zelts remembered it. Nothing really changed since they last been here, except for the presence of a few Nexus vanguards to help keep the area safe. Silver wondered if Kelvin was around since he never saw him again after the aquatic faunus led his team to Atlas. He figured the least they could do was show him they made it back in one piece.

This would have to be done after the mission because Chartreuse and her crew wasted no time marching through the settlement, heading straight for the docks. She was a straight forward person that made Silver think he could see a little bit of Violet in her and maybe Chartreuse was a glimpse of what Violet would kind of be like in the future. He walked over to her and asked her about the pirates. "So, captain. What kind of pirates are we dealing with?"

"Smart ones: the worst kind. We've been dealing with them for the past few weeks. They have tactics and strategies that make it difficult to capture all of them which we're going to do by the end of the day. They will not plunder another trading ship."

"Aye-aye, captain!" Silver replied in a jokey manner Chartreuse wasn't really fond of. She felt like he really wasn't taking this seriously.

The walk was very brief since Chartreuse wanted to end the pirates' reign of terror, so they made it to her ship in no time. Her ship was very impressive. It was large, made entirely of metal, and had several cannons to take down threats. It was clearly made for battle, so Silver wondered why Chartreuse had trouble dealing with anyone, then he realized the pirates probably had superior numbers.

"To your stations!" Chartreuse ordered her men and they boarded the ship. She followed after them along with Silver and Zelts so they could get this mission done as quickly as possible. The ship took off within ten minutes and sailed to the open waters of Vacuo.

"This is awesome!" Silver shouted loud enough for the people at the docks to hear. Zelts and Chartreuse groaned at the same time.

 **Setting: Sea**

Chartreuse's ship continued to roam the sea for two hours with no incident so far. She had her men stir the ship into areas the pirates frequently attacked others. It had to be near their stronghold or whatever they called home. Zelts was on the deck of the ship, watching the sea around them with a few of the shipmates keeping everything in order. Silver was up in the crow's nest where he said he was keeping a sharp eye out for suspicious activity, but fell asleep after an hour and a half of nothing happening. Chartreuse kept her role as captain by having her equipment ready for any pirates.

After another ten minutes, Zelts pulled out his scroll and called Silver. The jingle of his scroll shook the gunslinger awake and he quickly reached for his device. "H-hello?" His voice was groggy when he answered.

"…Were you sleeping?" Zelts asked.

"No!" Silver retorted quickly.

"…"

"Okay, maybe I took a quick nap," he admitted.

Zelts sighed quietly so none of the nearby crew could hear him. "Shape up already. Check around the area."

Silver did as Zelts said and scanned the sea around them. There was nothing around them for miles, at least from the front. He did, however, see a ship with black flags from the back of the ship. His sharp eyes saw the flag had skull and crossbones decorated on it. Pirates.

"YES!" he screamed for all below him to hear. "PIRATES! SIX O' CLOCK!"

The crew mobilized quickly when he shouted those words. Most of them ran to the cannons to get them ready while several of them went to alert Chartreuse about the situation. The ship took some time to turn around but the pirate ship was still pretty far away, giving them time to get combat ready.

Silver was still in the crow's nest where he took Fenrir brought the two guns together, combining and transforming them into its sniper rifle form. The rest of the crew wasn't close enough for the cannons to do anything, but he could take down a few of the pirates. He took aim and found more than two dozen pirates on the ship, but none of them looked like they were in charge. Silver took his time to search for the captain, but it was short-lived.

Out of nowhere, the ship rumbled and there was an explosion beneath the ship. Everyone was rocked by this sudden incident, including Silver who lost his sight on the pirate ship. Chartreuse didn't know what happened. The pirate ship was too far away to fire cannons and they couldn't have run into any reefs or rocks. Before anyone could find out what happened, the ship rumbled again with an explosion occurring by the side of the ship. A gush of water spurted out where it took place.

This explosion knocked Silver off is perch on the crow's nest, but he quickly activated Gravity to levitate in the air. He hasn't learned how to move around on his own yet, so he kicked himself off the mast to the direction where the explosion happened. He didn't see anything from his position high above the water.

"See anything!?" Zelts shouted at his floating friend.

"Not from here," Silver replied before taking a deep breath. Using his semblance to make himself heavy, he quickly plummeted into the ocean to see what was going on. Silver opened his eyes to see two shocking things: underwater mines around their ship and three submarines coming from the front. He realized the pirates were more equipped than he or the others thought. He quickly came to the surface and used his semblance again to run up the side of the ship. He reached the deck when the ship hit a third mine that rocked it again. Zelts met with his friend to ask what he saw.

"What happened?"

"We're in an underwater minefield and we got pirates in submarines. These pirates are scary," Silver answered.

"If they're so scary, then why are you smiling?" Zelts asked, noticing it when Silver answered his question.

"This mission is going to be amazing," Silver responded.

"If we survive it," Zelts remarked.

The ship was completely turned around, facing the pirate ship and leaving its backside vulnerable to the unseen submarines. The pirates had Chartreuse and her men surrounded, whether she knew it or not. Regardless of her circumstances, the veteran captain planned to fight the pirates with all her might. She ordered members of her crew to take to the cannons so they could strike the minute they're in range. This was her plan until Zelts approached her and informed her of what Silver found.

"How the hell did those scumbags get submarines?" she spat out with anger.

"It doesn't matter how they got them, what matters is-"

"How we deal with them," Chartreuse finished his sentence for him. She may not like the situation, but she wasn't one to give in or complain about it. She has learned to adapt to sudden changes. "We will find a way to eliminate the submarines. The pirate ship is a decoy, but could still cause some problems if we leave it unattended."

"Actually, Silver and I had the same thought. He's already taking care of the pirate ship, so we can figure out what to do about those subs," Zelts told her.

"Will he be alright on his own?" Chartreuse asked, concerned about Silver.

"He's probably having the time of his life," Zelts answered, slightly amused at the idea of Silver fighting pirates.

Chartreuse took the helm and began turning her ship around to face the submarines. Meanwhile, Silver was soaring through the air, making his way to the decoy pirate ship with a huge smile on his face. He asked Zelts to launch him toward the ship with a blast of wind from his wingblades so he could distract the distraction.

"Avast ye scurvy fodder!" Silver shouted as he landed on the pirate ship's mast, switching Fenrir to dual guns and taking aim. All the pirates watched him as he flew and landed on their ship. Some wielding firearms took aim, but Silver was faster with his weapons. He fired a barrage of bullets filled with different types of dust at them, shooting at the pirates armed with guns first.

A group was consumed in a fiery explosion, another was electrocuted, and a third was blown away by a gust of wind. Silver jumped from his perch and landed into the thick of the pirate crew. His smile didn't waver as he stared at all his enemies.

Back on Chartreuse's ship, she and Zelts were trying to find a way to deal with the mines and the submarines, underwater threats the ship was not equipped to deal with. Threats were all around, but the captain wasn't frightened one bit. "Do you think you can do something about the enemy with your weapon?"

"Maybe. Wind dust won't be effective underwater, but it could still do something. I'll try to move the mines away from the ship. I'll figure something out about those subs," Zelts answered before running to the edge of the deck.

He dove off the ship and swam into the minefield without getting close enough to trigger any of them. He saw there were about twenty of the mines around the ship and the subs were still approaching. Zelts acted quickly and activated Conversion, absorbing some of the dust woven into his clothing. With the boost in strength, he was strong enough to rotate underwater with his wingblades in each hand. The wind being released from his large blades was creating a strong underwater current that was drawing in the mines. The explosive devices followed the whirlpool he created below the ship so they were nowhere near the ship anymore. Zelts adjusted his body till he was horizontal and facing the submarines then spun around with his wingblades again. The wind dust propelled the mines toward the submarines and moved into their path. The mines were positioned toward the subs and the subs were heading straight for the mines.

He couldn't hold his breath any longer. Zelts quickly rotated around to push himself toward the surface.

Chartreuse patiently waited for Zelts to return and was not surprised when she saw him rise from the waters and onto the ship using wind dust. He landed by her side while breathing heavily. "Is everything okay?" she asked him.

"It should be. The mines will let you know where they are. Shortly," Zelts answered once he got his second wind. And just like he said, the mines went off when one of the submarines got too close.

A few more went off and Chartreuse didn't waste a second. "Fire!"

The crew members manning the cannons fired on the spot where the mines went off. A barrage of cannon fire hit the area and more mines exploded because of the impacts of the attacks. They continued to fire upon the location for two minutes straight until Chartreuse told them to cease firing. Nothing happened and that concerned Chartreuse. There was no debris or submarines rising to the surface. Instead, more explosions went off around the ship.

Chartreuse and Zelts braced themselves against the ship of the ship when they got hit. Zelts didn't understand what was happening and the feeling was mutual for the captain. She looked over her ship and noticed something moving straight for it. She could already tell this thing was a torpedo and it came from one of the submarines. They weren't destroyed by the mines and were finally close enough to attack.

The mines weren't enough to stop the pirate's submarines, the subs were out of range for the cannons to do any real damage, and the ship could only take so many hits. This was a losing battle and Chartreuse was aware of it. She couldn't risk her ship sinking and her crew at the mercy of pirates. It was a painful pill to swallow, but the veteran captain had to retreat.

"We need to fall back and come up with a new plan. Can you make a tornado to keep their torpedoes at bay?" she asked.

The Knight of the Wind didn't answer as he already put her request into action. He was still charged with energy from Conversion, so Zelts used the boost to unleash a powerful tornado over the water which created a maelstrom. The submarines halted their advance and began retreating. Chartreuse ordered her men to take the ship back to Treasure Trove Wharf.

"Thanks for your help," she told Zelts.

"Don't worry about it. You can thank us when we stop those pirates for good," Zelts replied with the energy from Conversion fading away.

"We'll go rescue your friend on the way ba-" Chartreuse stopped talking when she noticed the decoy pirate ship for the first time.

The ship was burning, the sails were riddled with bullet holes, the entire crew was defeated, and on the mast was Silver. The Silver Tongued Gunslinger had the pirate's flag in his hand and was howling loudly. The joy on his face was impossible to miss.

"PIRATE'S LIFE!"

Silver was living his dream as the ship began to sink. He knew this and saw Chartreuse's ship coming his way. He happily used Gravity to jump high off the pirate ship and land safely on the allied ship near Chartreuse and Zelts. "How did it go on your end?"

 **Setting: Treasure Trove Wharf**

The ship returned to port and it was in poor condition, but there was no damage that couldn't be mended. Chartreuse ordered her crew to see to repairs now that they were back on land. One member told her the ship would be repaired in several hours. She was not pleased with the outcome of this encounter and it was obvious to everyone. Keeping her frustration under wraps as best as she can, she walked to the docks to converse with Silver and Zelts about what to do next.

"My men and I will get the ship back to working order. I'll also try to come up with a plan to deal with those submarines."

"What should we do?" Zelts asked.

"You guys can wait in town until we finish. Watching patch up the ship would just bore you guys," Chartreuse said.

"We came here to help you get rid of those pirates, so we'll try to come up with something too."

"Anything helps. We got a find a way to reach those submarines. The cannons are strong enough to destroy them. I'm sure of that, but they can't touch them underwater. They're in their element," Chartreuse said with a frustrated edge.

Silver perked up when he heard her say that. One word she said sparked an idea in his head. His eyes widen and a small grin sneaked its way on his face. "I got an idea," he said, inserting himself into their conversation.

"I'm all ears. I'll take anything I can get," Chartreuse told him.

"I know someone who can help us take down those pirates, whether they're underwater or not. She'll demolish them," Silver said with confidence, but Zelts didn't know who he was talking about.

"She lives outside of town. We'll try to convince her to help us."

"Convince? This friend won't come willingly?" Chartreuse asked.

"Well, I wouldn't really call her a friend. More of an acquaintance," Silver said and he didn't sound too sure himself. "But, if we can get her help, this all be over in an instant."

Zelts finally realized who he was talking about and Chartreuse decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "I hope you can make this happen. Ship repairs are going to take a while. Take all the time you need." Chartreuse walked back to her ship to supervise the repairs.

Silver and Zelts set off to request help from a familiar face.

 **Setting: Shoreline**

The two members of VRSZ walked out of Treasure Trove Wharf and continued traveling along the shore. It was a half hour journey filled with talk and banter between the two friends.

"There's no way she's going to help you," Zelts joked half-heartily.

"What makes you say that?" Silver asked curiously.

"You smacked her in the face with her own surfboard and you ruined her business in Fortuna. I'm sure she has a personal grudge against you for all that."

"Water under the bridge," Silver replied and Zelts raised his eyebrow.

"Pun intended?"

"Happy accident," Silver smiled. "Check it out."

A distance away from the duo was a metal building by the beach. It was one of Grayson's hideouts he had all over Remnant, but this one was no longer his. It was now the home of his first Ravager teammate and former enemy of VRSZ, Turquoise.

The ex-crime boss was outside her makeshift home, sitting on the beach, watching the water reach and splash her bare feet. The buzz-cut hair she previously had grew out. Her blue-green hair was long, longer than it originally was. It reached past her shoulders and the bangs draped over the right side of her face, partially covering her right eye. She had on casual clothes, wearing a sky-blue shirt and white shorts. Beside her were a pair of white sandals.

Turquoise's face was serene. She was staring at the horizon with a content look. That changed when she heard a voice call to her. "Hey! Its been a while!"

She looked over to see Silver and Zelts approach her. Her eyes settled o Silver and her soft face hardened a bit. Turquoise picked up her sandals and stood up. One hand was holding her shoes and the other was on her hip. Zelts was correct: she was not pleased with seeing him.

"Hey," Turquoise said, but in an unpleased tone. "To what do I owe this…pleasures?"

"We need your help," Zelts answered and Silver followed up.

"Underwater pirates are terrorizing ships and we can't touch them, but your semblance can change that."

"Underwater pirates?" she repeated in disbelief.

"They're using submarines," Zelts corrected.

"Yeah, so, can you help us?"

Turquoise looked at them before walking back to her home. Her silence was seen as a no. Silver began to speed walk to her. "I know you don't like us, but we can really use your help. We'll pay you."

"You guys send me Lien every other week. I'm fine," she replies as she stops in front of her home.

"We do that?" Silver asked and Zelts slams his palm against his face.

"How do you not know that!?" he shouted at his teammate.

"Goodbye," Turquoise said as she turned away.

"Wait!" Silver called out. She sighed and turned back to face him.

"There's nothing you have that I-"

"A revenge shot," Silver interrupted. "In exchange for helping us, you get one free revenge shot against me. I ruined your old life, right?"

"And you hit me in the face with my metal surfboard," she added.

 _"So much for water under the bridge,"_ Zelts thought to himself.

"Then hit me any way you want if it makes you feel better. I deserve it." Silver got on his knees and placed Fenrir on the sand to demonstrate his seriousness. Zelts was astounded he went this far to get her help. And it did reach Turquoise. She saw he was serious about the revenge shot.

"Just one hit?" she asked for clarification. Silver nodded. And it can be anything as long as it's one hit, right?"

"Yup," Silver responded then braced himself.

Turquoise wasted no time as she activated her semblance and began controlling the seawater. She pulled a massive amount of water from the sea in the shape of an orb three times her size. She had it float beside her as she prepared to unleash it.

Zelts watched this and waited to see what would happen.

Silver closed his eyes and waited for her to hit him. He sat there for a while and nothing happened. He wondered if she was having second thoughts about his offer. He opened his eyes and in an instant, the gunslinger was hit with a massive torrent of water.

Turquoise unleashed everything she had in one shot and the force of the water blasted Silver from his spot along with his guns. He was knocked past Zelts and landed far away from either of them. His clothes were drenched and he was covered in sand. His hair was a mess with the black side losing its hold. The seawater washed the hair gel out of it and the hair returned to its spiky nature. Fenrir was washed beside him. The first thing Silver did was spit out the water that got in his mouth then sat up.

He was further away from Turquoise and Zelts but he could see the smallest hint of a satisfied smile on her face. The agreement was made. Zelts and Turquoise walked over to Silver to see how he was doing.

"Good?" Zelts asked while chuckling.

"Uh-huh," he answered then glanced to Turquoise. "Good?"

"We're good," she answered. "So, you guys said something about underwater pirates."


	11. Dark Trigger

**Setting: Treasure Trove Wharf**

The ship's repairs were near complete. Chartreuse was pleased to see the maintenance was going smoothly, even if it took a few hours. The sun was beginning to set. She wanted the pirates arrested already, but their tactics were sound and none of them could've predicted how many resources they acquired. Chartreuse still couldn't figure out how pirates got submarines. She figured anyone could get anything with determination. It was impressive, but she wasn't going to let them off easy because of it.

Chartreuse pulled out her scroll to check the time. She sighed out of exasperation because Silver and Zelts were taking their time getting back, but she continued to wait. They told her they had a plan to complete the mission and she believed them. However, keeping her home safe came first. If they don't come back soon, she planned on leaving without them. The sea captain made sure everything was back to working order, giving VRSZ a little more time, and deciding to abandon them if she finishes before they reach the ship.

"We're back!" Silver shouted as he, Zelts, and Turquoise boarded the ship. The crew acknowledged the silver and gold duo, but Turquoise took up most of their attention. She was a new addition and a pretty one. The young woman noticed the stares but didn't care. Turquoise still had a bit of her laid-back disposition. She followed Silver and Zelts until they found Chartreuse at the helm of the ship. The older woman looked at all of them then stared at Silver's hair, which was completely spiky, for a quick second before talking to the group.

"I was very close to leaving without you guys. Is this the friend you've been talking about?" Chartreuse scanned Turquoise from head to toe. Turquoise eyed the captain back, not sure if she was being judged on her appearance and she planned to correct the 'friend' statement. "Can you help us?"

"Hm?" Turquoise responded.

"Zelts and Silver spoke highly of your skills. Can you help us route out the pirates?"

Turquoise was a little surprised to hear her former enemies spoke well of her. She already agreed to help, but this was icing on the cake. "Yeah, I can help. It'll be the easiest job I've ever done." She acted like this was beneath her, but Zelts could tell she was happy to be needed. It was nice compared to the past encounters when she tried to kill all of them.

"Thank you for your assistance. We'll be leaving immediately. Time to change the tide of battle!" Chartreuse announced.

Silver snickered. "Change the tide. Get it?" he said to Turquoise, nudging her elbow. She nudged back, striking him in the ribs hard enough to hurt, but light enough to do no actual damage. He rubbed the sore spot with a grin on his face.

"Not funny," she replied, but there was the smallest indication of a smile on her face.

 **Setting: Open Seas**

The crew returned to the area where they first encountered the pirates and found they were nowhere in sight. This was something they figured would happen. There was little chance their enemy would remain in the same spot to do battle. Chartreuse ordered her men to sail around trade routes, believing the pirates would return to their usual business of plundering trading ships. The ship continued on its voyage which gave Silver and Zelts the chance to speak with Turquoise who didn't have anything better to do.

She told them about how she's been doing since their last encounter, living by the beach, going to Treasure Trove Wharf for supplies, and dreaming of drowning Grayson. Silver could get behind killing Grayson. Zelts didn't say anything, but he agreed that Grayson was someone he wanted out of his life. They told her about how they've run into and battled Grayson a number of times. Turquoise enjoyed the parts where they defeated him, but not the parts where he won. After Zelts told her about the destruction of Fortuna, Turquoise had one question: "Are you guys going to take him down for good?"

This question wasn't answered immediately. Silver and Zelts glanced at each other, hoping the other had a response. This topic was never spoken about by anyone from the team, though Violet made it clear she wanted him dead. Grayson has proven to be the biggest thorn in their side, but he hasn't been a problem since they've returned to Vacuo, though after everything he's done to them and their friends, he had to pay.

That's how it was going to be, how it'll end. There was no scenario where Grayson could be left alive and things end with happily ever after.

"Grayson's days are numbered," Silver told Turquoise. She nodded her approval of their decision and Zelts kept his gaze on Silver, his friend who wasn't a killer, who didn't like killing, but figured it was unavoidable just like he did.

The conversation came to an abrupt end when they heard Chartreuse over the ship's intercom. "Everyone to battle stations! We're about to engage the pirates!"

"Yes!" Silver responded with vigor as he jumped from his seat. He was clenching his fist in anticipation, ready for round two.

"He's eager," Turquoise commented to Zelts.

"What can I say, he likes pirates."

The ship was sailing toward a trading ship being attack by torpedoes being launched from three all too familiar submarines. They were attacking the defenseless ship while its passengers screamed and panicked. The trading ship was damaged strategically, striking it without sinking it and intimidating the crew to prevent them from trying to escape. They were clever pirates indeed.

The three-person group made their way to the deck of the ship where Chartreuse waited for them. She wanted to witness this plan they possessed. Silver stood by the captain while Zelts and Turquoise walked to the very front of the ship. Silver glanced at Chartreuse with a knowing expression that she noticed and was slightly annoyed by his expression. "What?"

"Nothing," Silver said playfully. "Just prepare to be wowed." Chartreuse didn't know what to expect, so she watched the young woman they pinned their hopes on.

"You got this?" Zelts asked Turquoise who raised her hands and started breathing rhythmically.

"Like I said, easiest thing I've done all week." Turquoise had her arms stretched out and aimed at the submarines. She activated Aquarius.

The submarines ceased firing and moved in to raid the trading ship, but for some reason, they couldn't move an inch. In fact, the large vehicles began to move backward, against the wishes of the pilots and passengers. The water around them was pulling them away from the trading ship and toward Chartreuse's battleship. All of this was done by one woman.

"Incredible…" was the only word the sea veteran could think to say when she witnessed Turquoise's semblance. She was very impressed with her abilities.

Turquoise herself was concentrating on keeping her hold on the submarines. Moving the water with such large objects was new for her. Sinking ships was easier than carrying them, but after her brazen claim, she couldn't complain out loud.

The three submarines were in front of the ship, lined side by side, and Turquoise began clenching her hands. The water pressure around the submarines became intense and began crushing the large metal vehicles. She planned on completely destroying them, but Zelts put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"We're going to arrest them. Not kill them."

"Have it your way," Turquoise responded as she released her death grip.

All the submarines weren't crushed like cans, but they appeared to be inoperable. They didn't look like they could be used again, let alone float, with Turquoise's semblance being the only thing keeping them in place.

For half an hour, Silver, Zelts, Chartreuse, and her crew rounded up all the pirates in each sub and arrested them. With all the pirates in the brig, Turquoise deactivated Aquarius, releasing her hold on the submarines which sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The mission was complete.

 **Setting: Treasure Trove Wharf**

The ship returned to the docks and Chartreuse had her men take the pirates to the town's prison. Silver, Zelts, and Turquoise chatted among themselves on the ship.

"Told you this was going to be easy," Turquoise told Zelts and Silver.

"Yeah, yeah," Silver replied while waving her off.

"Again, thanks for your help. We couldn't have done this without you," Zelts told her Turquoise was taken aback by his kindness and his words, but she composed herself quickly.

"If you really want to thank me, then how about splitting the mission money with me." Turquoise had her hand extended Instead of Lien being placed in her hand, another hand grabbed hers. It belonged to Chartreuse.

"I have another proposition for you, Turquoise. How about you join my crew?"

"What?" Turquoise and Silver said together.

"You're an amazing person with many capabilities. Someone like you can do some real good for the people of this town. Not to mention you'll be paid handsomely with every job."

 _"A great sea captain with someone who can control the seas…makes sense,"_ Zelts thought to himself.

"You had me at paid handsomely. Besides, anything's better than living in alone in a metal cave," Turquoise answered with a lazy smirk.

"Perfect. Come with me to the town's hall. I'll inform the monarch of the events then get you settled in. After that, I'll take you two back to Nexus," Chartreuse told Silver and Zelts. "Just hang around town until we're done." She left with Turquoise, explaining her role as a member of her crew.

Zelts folded his arms and had a satisfied smile. "Everything turned out well, didn't it?"

Silver was pouting. "I want to be apart of the crew too. Fighting pirates every day would be awesome…" he complained loudly.

"Come on, swashbuckler. Let's get something to eat while we can." Zelts dragged a whining Silver into town.

The two spent some time around town, getting something to eat and checking the local shops. Silver wasn't able to get a souvenir from the mission, so he decided to find a trinket or something from the market. Zelts went his own path down the market just to browse. He found the ship Kelvin owned and saw Kelvin aboard it, commanding his own seven-person crew. The aquatic faunus seemed busy, so Zelts left him to his work. He was glad to see he made it back to Vacuo in one piece after their expedition to Atlas.

Zelts got a text on his scroll from Chartreuse. He read it and learned it was Turquoise using Chartreuse's scroll to message them.

 _Hey, this is Turquoise. I need to pack my stuff so I can move into town. Can you guys head to my place and start packing. I'll pay._

He quickly responded to tell her they'd do it. Zelts put his scroll in his pocket and went to find Silver.

Somewhere else in the town was another person and this person was Vago. The man of shadows has been searching for something to impress Grayson enough to let him join the Ravagers. So far, his search came up fruitless and has led him here. The man wanted to prove he was worthy of being in the Ravagers, but nothing has gone his way yet. He was ready to come out of the shadows, figuratively, and finally, make a name for himself.

Vago wanted to be a legend for people to speak of for years to come and teaming with the infamous Ravagers was his best and fastest path, but it was all fantasy if he couldn't find something worthwhile. Call it fate or coincidence, Vago found a few people worth Grayson's attention. He saw Silver and Zelts, the Freelancers, Grayson's sworn enemies, walking out of Treasure Trove Wharf. He watched the two leave the town and instinctively followed them.

 _"If I can kill them and bring their heads to Grayson…"_ Vago had his goal in mind and planned to see it through. He tailed them from a safe distance so they couldn't detect him and he waited till they were far away from any kind of help.

 **Setting: Shoreline**

Silver and Zelts were walking back to Turquoise's home again to help her move out. It wasn't going to be difficult or take long and she was willing to pay them for their help. Silver guessed Zelts would turn down the money when they see her, but he planned to intercept and take it anyway.

"The mission went by smoother than I thought it would?" Silver told Zelts who raised an eyebrow.

"Are you serious? We almost died at sea."

"And we fought pirates. That balances the-"

In one quick moment, Silver and Zelts were engulfed in darkness. Zelts looked around to figure out what was going on but saw nothing around him. Silver quickly drew Fenrir in both hands and watched for any threat, but didn't anything, just never-ending darkness. The silver and gold duo stood side by side, but couldn't see each other, only darkness. Couldn't hear each other, just nothingness. The only sense they still possessed was touch. Backing toward each other, their backs touched.

Both of them reacted quickly when they touched because it was so surprising. Silver leaped away and saw nothing. Zelts stayed in place and brought out his Heart of Gold. "Who's there!?" Zelts called out, but he and Silver heard nothing. He knew he shouted, but he was unable to hear his own voice. _"What's going on?"_

Silver had his guns aimed at Zelts even though he didn't know his friend was in his line of attack. He had no idea what was happening or if he was even in the same place before darkness shrouded him. He didn't know what to do.

Outside the darkness was Vago, looking at the dark orb where the members of VRSZ were failing to grasp the situation. The darkness he emitted with his semblance obscured the vision of everyone except himself. He could clearly see Silver and Zelts struggle to understand what was going on. When he saw them wield their weapons, he knew things were going to get interesting. Vago pulled out a few of his shuriken and took aim before throwing one of them at Silver.

Silver continued to nothing but a dark void until he felt a stinging pain in his left shoulder, doing little damage to his aura and making him a little more panicked. "The hell was that?" Silver said to himself and realized he couldn't hear his own voice. Vago threw another that struck him in the chest. Silver wasn't sure what was going on, but he didn't plan on being someone's punching bag. He fired Fenrir directly in front of him, but he didn't hit Vago. Silver shot Zelts in the chest three times.

Zelts felt himself bet shot by someone and his aura took the hit for him. He didn't know who did it so he kept his shield up in front of him to protect himself. He was able to block four more shots Silver fired, but Vago added himself to the mix. He took two shurikens and threw them at Zelts from two different directions. They spun and curved as they both struck him across his back. Being attacked from all sides with no sign of the enemy forced Zelts to go on the offensive. He split his shield into wingblades and spun around, releasing a massive gust of wind to get rid of any nearby enemies.

The wind did succeed in knocking Vago away as he was pushed to the beach, but Zelts also blow Silver away, out of the darkness and into a boulder. Silver's back smacked hard against the large stone and he fell to the ground. He moaned in pain, but he could finally see his surroundings, including the dark orb encompassing the area Zelts was still in. He on the opposite side of Vago's. He didn't their enemy and the dark sphere grabbed his attention.

"What is this thing?" Silver said aloud as he slowly approached the anomaly. He about to reach out and touch it, but another gust of wind emerged from it and knocked Silver a few feet away. When he got back up and saw the wind being released, he noticed it was green, something only Zelts could do. He was inside the darkness.

"Zelts! Zelts!" Silver shouted loud but didn't get a response. At least not from Zelts.

Vago ran from the left side of the dark orb and quickly threw six shurikens at the gunslinger who didn't see him coming. Silver turned to him when the shuriken was already coming his way and all he could do was bring his arms up to protect himself. He was able to keep the throwing stars from hitting his face, but he was still slashed around his arms and body. The damage was minimal but annoying. Silver was still standing after that attack and he had a good look at his assailant. He didn't recognize Vago at all.

"Who sent you?" Silver asked, knowing someone probably sent him to attack them.

"No one, but I know someone who'll be happy to learn you Freelancers are alive. If I kill you two now, I'd be doing him a huge favor," Vago answered before activating Abyss again to consume Silver again. The dark shroud began to reach out to Silver, but before it could, a massive green tornado emerged from the other orb of darkness.

The windstorm grew large and blew away the darkness surrounding it while sucking in Silver and Vago. The two of them were carried into the violent wind before it dispersed and vanished with Zelts in the epicenter, holding his wingblades and bearing a slightly angered expression. He was tired of being trapped in darkness.

Silver and Vago were high in the air thanks to that previous tornado and they were both falling back to Remnant. Silver used Gravity to slow his descent and land safely on his feet, standing beside his friend. Vago had no landing strategy. He ungracefully fell back to the shoreline grunting in pain and discomfort, but his aura protected him from any serious damage, though he wasn't in a good predicament with Zelts and Silver standing against him.

"Who's this?" Zelts asked Silver while keeping his eyes on Vago.

"Don't know and he plays pretty rough," Silver answered with both guns aimed at him.

Before they could interrogate the man for information, Vago used his semblance one last time to cover the whole area in darkness. Once again, Silver and Zelts couldn't see or hear anything and Vago used this opportunity to flee. He wasn't stupid. Surprise attacks and assassinations were his MO. There was no way he could take the both of them on by himself, especially Zelts. No one has ever destroyed his Abyss by using raw power before. It was unnerving. He couldn't defeat them, but now he knew that two members of VRSZ, maybe even the entire team, was still in Vacuo.

 _"Grayson's gonna love this,"_ he thought to himself.

When the darkness vanished, Silver and Zelts could see Vago was long gone. This brief interaction left the two of them puzzled for the remainder of the day as they continued with Turquoise's task. They returned to the Wharf where they were paid by Chartreuse and she flew them back to Nexus.

Silver and Zelts planned on telling the others about this strange encounter, not knowing this was the trigger for a series of events that'll change the lives of VRSZ and those aligned with them.

* * *

 **Kelvin is now the captain of his own treasure hunting crew. They salvage underwater shipwrecks and find treasure and sell whatever they find to the highest bidder. It's not considered criminal activity, so he doesn't have any problem with Chartreuse or the authorities.**

 **Turquoise works with Chartreuse now. Together they become a force to be reckoned with, feared by pirates and all illegal activity in Vacuo.**

 **And yes, Silver did take the Lien from Turquoise despite Zelts's disapproval.**


	12. Love is Blue

**A/N: Happy birthday to Violet Tulipe! While it's technically not her birthday in the story, it is today, which is why it felt appropriate to publish this chapter today. A loving chapter for everyone's favorite Violent Flower.**

* * *

 **Setting: Desert**

Every member of VRSZ and Clair's retinue were busy today. The Lady of Nexus left with her enforcers to meet with Royal and Team VRSZ has been split in half to accomplish two separate missions. Silver and Zelts left with Chartreuse to fulfill her request while Violet and Remus departed from Nexus to fulfill Percy's. He heard of a recent spike of Grimm activity closer to Oasis than he liked and hired VRSZ to handle the matter. With Chartreuse specifically requesting Zelts and Silver loving the idea of fighting pirates, that left Violet and Remus to handle the mission in Oasis. Violet didn't mind. In fact, she liked the idea of having some personal time with Remus.

Zelts and Silver flew off with Chartreuse the same time Violet and Remus took the hovercar to Oasis. It was north of Nexus and the travel time was about an hour and a half. The drive was smooth and easy for Violet, especially since Remus had a knack for driving the hovercar. She watched with amazement from the passenger seat, observing her friend drive like it was natural. She, Silver, and Zelts wondered if the difference was wheels or if it was something else. Either way, Violet didn't plan on thinking too much about it like Zelts.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked, looking at Violet with a concerned expression.

"Huh? Oh!" He broke her out of the trance she was in. "Y-yeah. I'm good!" she answered a little too enthusiastically. She recognized her eagerness and mentally cursed herself out while feeling relieved Remus didn't notice. He resumed driving when she told him she was fine; however, Remus wasn't completely convinced. He knew his friend better than that.

Violet turned away to the other side so he couldn't see her face. She didn't want him to see because she didn't understand why she was so flustered. _"Why are you acting like this, you idiot? It's just Remus! You've been with him for years. This shouldn't be a problem. Nothing's changed…right?"_ Violet was trying to convince herself logically, then she'd think back to her fight with Remus. That was when these feelings started to bloom. Now it was a little awkward being alone with him, but maybe this mission could help change that.

While Violet was trying to calm herself, Remus was wondering what was bothering her. He hoped she was capable of completing the mission, then he would remember just how amazing Violet was. _"No, she wouldn't let anything stop her from completing a mission. She's too incredible…"_ His assuaged his doubt which turned to silent admiration, something he has been doing a lot these past few weeks. This has been happening ever since his fight with Violet and every time his thoughts were on her, his chest seemed to tighten and had a fluttering feeling he has never experienced before. No one else he has met in his life has ever made him feel this way. Since this feeling was directed toward Violet, Remus planned to explain it to her and ask her what it means.

The ride to Oasis was odd between the two of them. Remus focused on driving while his question still rested in the back of his mind and Violet was trying to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. Remus tried to speak with Violet about other things to pass the time, but she was still having difficulty looking him in the eye. _"Come on! Just talk to him. Nothing has changed!"_

"Violet… Violet? Are you sure you're okay?" Remus asked when she didn't respond.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine. It's just this heat. It's been getting to me today. What were you trying saying again?" She played it off while smiling with her eyes closed. That was the most she could manage right now.

"I wanted to ask how you wanted to confront the Grimm. Percy said they were all Geist that were getting too close to Oasis. What do we do?" Remus' question was something she could answer normally. Talking about combat and strategies was something that calmed her mind. She was able to look him in the face with confidence.

"Geist are known to be cowardly and fragile when they don't have something to possess. Being in the desert means there's not a lot of things for them to take over. With your speed, we can corner them and I can take them down with my Enigmas. We can get rid of them in an instant," she explained, feeling better internally. She was able to keep her gaze on Remus without feeling embarrassed.

He smiled back at her and said, "I knew you had something planned. You always do. You really are incredible, Violet… Violet?" Remus watched her turn around when he said those things. Her face was blushing more than before.

 _"Why the hell did he have to say that!? And he did say it with an honest smile… AAAAHHHH! Why am I acting like this?"_ Violet couldn't look at Remus for the remainder of the ride to Oasis.

 **Setting: Oasis**

The VRSZ duo finally arrived in Oasis and they were surprised by what the settlement looked like. The buildings were much taller than they expected and each one had signs that were meant to light up at night but were still nice to look at during the day. The population was much larger than Nexus'. People filled to paved roads of Oasis and moved in droves. Remus looked at every building in awe as they drove into the town that was more like a city. This place made Violet think of a smaller, flashier Fortuna. This was their first experience in Oasis, the paradise settlement.

Percy told them to head to the town's council building to speak with the officials and learn of the Grimm's whereabouts. The only problem was discerning which building was the council building. They were all extravagant. Most of them were hotels and others were amusement parks for visitors to enjoy at their leisure. Violet thought it would've been nice to go to an amusement park, unfortunately, they were in Oasis to work. It took twenty minutes to reach the council building which was the least flashy building in the settlement.

With the hovercar parked, Violet and Remus entered the building where they met with Percy's staff. The group of five informed Violet and Remus on where to locate the Grimm which was not too far from Oasis. It was in an open area like Violet predicted. With the information given to them, Violet and Remus left to eliminate the Grimm.

Violet chose to drive this time and Remus watched the town as they drove through it again. He looked at some of the signs and parks in wonder. "This place is amazing…" he comments as they're about to leave Oasis.

Violet smiles at his remark. She agreed. "We'll come back here when we don't have work. All four of us. Promise."

 **Setting: Desert**

Violet and Remus were engaged in a tough battle against a group of Geist. There were only seven of them, but their numbers weren't what made this fight though, it was the fact the battle took place in the middle of a cactus field. The VRSZ duo found the Grimm with ease but the area gave the apparitions objects to possess, protect themselves, and prolong the battle. The Geist possessed several cacti at once; one to use as the main body and several to function as its limbs. They were walking, spiky, plant creatures, standing eight feet tall, but this didn't faze Violet or Remus.

Without speaking a word to each other or Violet giving Remus hand signals, they both performed their Cloak and Dagger maneuver. Violet activated Invisibility and Remus charged straight for the Geist closest to them, getting into the thick of the enemy's formation and gaining their full attention. The ghost-like creature tried to swing its needle-covered arm at Remus, but his sudden burst in speed was not something the Grimm expected. The Blue Flicker sliced apart its cactus arm with Delta. Standing behind the Grimm he cut, he split Delta into its two swords and began swinging both at the Grimm. Both one-handed blades ripped through the cactus body, reducing it to a pile of green plant matter on the ground, and exposing the Geist.

The Grimm tried to jump to another body, but a throwing knife flew by and stabbed the Geist in its sole eye, killing it in one shot. The other Grimm began to move in and attack Remus by surrounding him. They all fired needles out of their arms at Remus, but he vanished in a cloud of blue smoke. He appeared high in the sky above them where he brought both his swords together and transformed Delta into its blaster rifle form. He used the rapid-fire setting to unleash a barrage of energy bolts to shower and attack the Grimm below. The barrage forced all the Geist to raise their arms to shield their main cactus bodies, leaving them vulnerable for an invisible Violet to expose.

She was near where the Geist was being pinned and pulled out several fire Enigmas. She threw them at the Grimm's host bodies, stabbing into them and setting them ablaze. All the Geist were screeching in pain as Remus landed on the floor. With their bodies burning and writhing in pain, the phantoms removed themselves from the burning plants to find new hosts with the surrounding cacti.

The time the Geist used to find new bodies, Violet threw more fire Enigmas into the cactus field when the Geist flew into the area and watched it all burn. She and Remus heard the Grimm's bone-chilling screams and Remus split Delta in two before dashing into the scorching field. With his aura protecting him from the flames and his bionic eye unobscured by the smoke, he quickly dashed through the fiery area and cut down any remaining Geist to end the mission. Violet was impressed with his initiative because she was about to ask him to do just that. It proved how strong the synergy was between the two of them. The flames wouldn't spread out of the field since they were in a desert, so it presented no real danger. All she had to do now was wait.

Four. Four Geist met the blades of Delta as Remus ran them through. He decapitated three of them while the fourth one was a distance away with fire consuming part of its body. Remus used his single-edged sword to cut the third Grimm's head off, so he tossed his short sword at the fourth one and the blade stuck right into the Geist's throat, killing it. The Grimm's body faded away and Remus grabbed his short sword, connecting it to the other half to make Delta whole, and ran out of the flames.

Violet looked at Remus as he emerged from the burning field and she smirked. The fires were dying and there wasn't a Grimm in sight. The mission was a success. The two of them deactivated their aura now that they were out of combat. "Nice work. We wrapped that up faster than I thought."

"We leveled up a lot. Not many Grimm can take us down now easily," Remus replied.

She chuckled, "Can't disagree. Let's head back and get paid."

Remus silently agrees and walks to where they left the hovercar, however, one of the cacti was still on fire, and it was still moving. The last Geist possessed the large plant and played dead, waiting for the right moment to flee or attack. It chose to attack. It fired all its cactus needles aimed for Violet who had her back to it, but the Grimm's action didn't go unnoticed by Remus.

"Argh!" Violet heard Remus wince in pain. She quickly turned around to see him stand in front of her before falling to his knees. She noticed his left arm and shoulder had needles stuck in them. The ones in his shoulder were very close to his throat. Any closer and it would've been fatal. Violet eyes were on his wound then they were on the sole remaining Grimm until all she saw was red.

It happened in an instant and she did it without thinking. This was pure instinct. Violet dashed toward the Geist while throwing an Enigma right at it with her right hand and pulling out her kukri with her left. The thrown Enigma embedded itself into the cactus and the ice dust in the hilt caused the plant to be frozen solid. The Geist emerged from its now useless body, leaving itself exposed for Violet to swipe at it with her kukri. She slashed off the Grimm's arm then cut its head in half with a strong downward swing. The Geist was dead.

Violet's silent rage ended and her face was consumed with concern. "Remus!" She ran over to her friend to see his condition. He didn't say anything to her. He only groaned in pain while gently holding his arm decorated with needles. Violet kneeled down to his side and gently took his injured arm into her hands. "Are you ok? Does it hurt?"

"It…stings. A lot," Remus responded with a slightly pained expression. Seeing him in pain distressed Violet greatly. She tried to move one of the needles and he inhaled a sharp breath. The needles were in pretty deep. Moving them seemed to make the pain worse.

Very gently, she helped him to his feet without touching his arm. He was able to walk on his own, but Violet stayed by his side to assist him into the hovercar regardless. "Let's hope Oasis has some good doctors," she told him as she started the car and rushed back to the settlement.

 **Setting: Oasis**

Sitting uncomfortably and tapping her foot on the floor was Violet. She sat in the waiting room of one of Oasis's hospices where she failed to do what the room was intended for. She was impatiently waiting for Remus's treatment to end so she could see him and it was noticed by the other people waiting in the room with her. Some of them gave her glances and looks to tell her to stop tapping her foot repeatedly, but Violet ignored them. One man spoke aloud and asked her to stop, but his words didn't reach her. She didn't acknowledge anyone else in the room. Her mind was thinking only about Remus's well-being. Violet even neglected to go to the council building to confirm the mission was completed. Remus was her priority.

After an hour waiting, which seemed like a lifetime to Violet, a nurse finally walked into the waiting room. He called for Violet to accompany him to the room Remus resided. On the way there, the nurse explained to Violet how they had to give him a little anesthesia so they could remove each needle without hurting him and that the wounds will heal with no scarring.

"Thank you." Saying those two words relieved her of a lot of stress. She knew his injury wasn't serious, but seeing Remus in any pain hurt her as well. Something she realized hurt a little more than when Silver or Zelts are in pain. Violet wondered if this meant she found Remus to be more precious than the others. If it was true, then she knew why she was feeling this way and it was completely foreign to her. She hasn't felt this way for anyone. Ever.

The nurse took Violet to a room with the numbers 110 and said, "He's in here. He might still be sleeping." He opened the door and Violet could see that Remus was indeed sleeping, on a small operating table with his injured armed wrapped in bandages that had specks of blood around it. The table didn't look comfortable, but the peaceful look on Remus's face told Violet he was perfectly fine. All she could do when she saw him was chuckle.

 _"All of that worrying and here you are asleep. What am I gonna do with you?"_

She walked into the room and noticed two chairs lined up against the wall. She took a seat there and the nurse said, "I'll leave you guys here until he wakes up. Just head to the front desk when you're ready to leave." The nurse left, leaving Violet alone with a sleeping Remus.

Five minutes passed after the nurse left them and Violet was anxious during that time. She didn't know if it was the small room or just being alone with Remus, but her face and body were heating up again and there was nothing else to focus on in the room beside Remus. She felt her stomach doing somersaults. In the spur of the moment, Violet rose from her seat and walked to Remus, looking down at him with confounded eyes, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath and the sincerity in his face unchanging. Being closer only made her heart beat faster. Almost hesitantly, Violet reached her hand out and had it hover over his face, lowering her hand until it was on the top of his head.

The pacing of her heart seemed to slow a little. Violet figured repressing her feelings was only making this worse than what she thought it to be. Relieved, she looked down at Remus again and a small smile formed on her face. She began to pet his head, slowly and affectionately, as if it was therapeutic. Violet felt calmer and happy.

An idea formed in her head. She looked to the only door to the room and assumed no one was going to enter. More like hoping no one would enter because she felt she would be beyond embarrassed if someone walked in on what she was about to do. Violet quickly sat on the table beside Remus's head. She quickly picked his head up and gently laid it on her lap without wresting him from slumber and resumed what she was doing before.

Violet played with his short black hair until she reached the scar going across the left side of his head. Looking at it made her think about all the terrible things that he endured before becoming part of VRSZ, but she didn't dwell on them and neither does he. Violet traced her finger over his scar with the lightest of touch thinking about how Remus has grown and changed since she first met him. She smiled and looked at him warmly before cupping his face with both hands. She has never done this for anyone else, but she wanted to do it for him.

Even though she did it with feathery grace, Remus's eyes immediately opened and they were staring right into Violet's. Neither of them moved. Violet was too stunned and embarrassed to freak out or jump off the table and Remus simply looked back at her. However, this proximity to Violet his chest tightened.

"Hey Violet," Remus said to her before raising his head off her thigh to sit up. He sat beside her and checked his arm. "They got the needles out."

Violet tried to play off the fact she had him in her lap and said, "Yeah. Imagine if it was Zelts. He's tough and all, but he's terrified of needles." Violet chuckled at her own remark and so did Remus. "Sorry about having you rest on… you know."

"It's okay. I really liked it," Remus admitted and Violet's face was light red. Instead of looking away, she kept her eyes on him.

"How can you say that without feeling embarrassed?" she asked.

Remus just looked at her honestly and said, "It's the truth. I don't feel embarrassed about telling people how I feel."

"…That's something I really admire about you, Remus. You know who you are and you don't change to please anyone or care how they feel. It's something very few people can do."

"You're the same."

"But it took me a while to figure it out. You were like this the first day I met you. You didn't know any better about a lot about the world, but you were still you, even after you experienced so much pain. You don't let it shackle you, unlike me. That's why I admire you so-"

"You're not bound by your family, Violet. You never were," he spoke out. She was rather surprised Remus knew what she was referring to. Was he getting more astute or did he really understand her that well? "When we were on our way to bring you back, you were fighting them all that time because you refused to be with them another day. They never had a hold on you no matter what anyone says. You're strong, Violet. You're the strongest most amazing person I know. I wish I could be like you someday."

His words sent fluttering feelings coursing through her body. The true, honest nature he always had was moving her in a way she never felt before. Violet knew what this feeling was and this only confirmed it was true. "And I'm not that always honest like you think."

Violet had a puzzled look when he said that. "Actually, there's something I've been hiding and I needed to ask you about it personally. Recently, my body's been acting strange-"

 _"Oh god, am I going to have the puberty talk with him?"_ she thought, dreadfully.

"-and it involves you." Violet didn't know where he was going with this. "When I think about you or get close to you, my chest tightens and my heart is beating crazy fast. It's like when I'm in a fight, but still different. It's even happening right now and I wanted to ask you what it was."

Violet stared at Remus for a quick moment before her face was flushed and her eyes became full of affection. "Looks like we're experiencing the same emotion for the first time together," she told him.

"Which one?"

"Love. You're feeling this way because you love me and I feel the same way,' she explained with a smile that wasn't going away. It felt too good to admit it.

Remus didn't get it, but his face was still getting warm. "But I love everyone. You, Silver, Zelts, Clair, Ghost, everyone."

"There's a difference between loving someone and being _in love_ with someone, Remus. Though I'm no expert on love, being in love with someone means you want to be with that person all the time and you're always happy when they're around. Get it?" Violet asked as she leaned in close to see the slight blush on his face.

Remus was a little taken back by her proximity after she explained it. "Y-yeah. I get it. I really do like being with you all the time."

"And I can't remember a moment I'm with you and I'm not happy," she replied and the two chuckled a little before stopping. After their shared laugh, the two were silent as they stared into each other's eyes.

"So, what do we do now?' Remus asked.

"Since neither of us is experts on love, let's not give each other the 'boyfriend, girlfriend' title yet. How about we take _baby steps_ and figure it out together? And let's just keep this between the two of us for now. It'll probably change the team's dynamic and I don't want Silver and Zelts breathing down our necks about it. Plus…" Violet thought about what would happen if she told Clair. "I definitely don't want her harassing us."

"Okay, but if we're doing this step by step, what's the first one?" Remus asked, still blushing.

Violet didn't answer his question verbally. Instead, she leaned in closer to Remus, cupped the right side of his face, and kissed his left cheek. It was a kiss that lingered and it was different from the playful teasing ones he and the others got from Clair. This kiss had a special meaning behind it. Violet pulled away from him with her hand still on his face. "Step one, done."

Remus sat there stunned with a dumbfounded look on his face. It was embarrassing and exhilarating at the same time. This was indeed a new experience for him and deep down he was glad he was sharing it with Violet. It was a new experience for her too and she was glad to share it with him.

"Come on. Let's get out of her and collect out money. It's time we head home," Violet said as she rose from the operating table walked to the door.

"Violet," Remus called out, still sitting on the table.

"Hmm?"

"Can we do that again?" he asked honestly with hopeful, pleading eyes Violet loved seeing.

"On our way back to Nexus," she answered in a teasing tone before leaving the room. Remus followed suit until he walked beside her.

 **Setting: Team VRSZ Duplex**

The ride back to Nexus was longer than it was heading to Oasis. This was due to Violet and Remus stopping to enjoy their alone time together while they still had it. The two of them talked and spent some time quietly enjoying the other's company. After the long voyage, Violet and Remus arrived in Nexus by nightfall and returned home.

The two of them had blissful expressions until they entered the living room. Violet and Remus realized Clair, Silver, and Zelts were present in the room, and their expressions were not very pleased.

"H-hey guys. Is everything okay?" Violet asked, wondering if they found out about her and Remus already.

"We got some bad news," Zelts told her with a troubled look.

"What?" Remus asked.

Clair answered his question and she did so with one word, a word Violet wished she would never hear again.

"Grayson."

* * *

 **The hospital room number "110" symbolized VRSZ Volume one chapter ten. It was the chapter where Violet and Remus first spent quality time together and it was here I decided to pair them together. It took some time to make it official, but there were some hints and moments leading up to it.**

 **Zelts has been taking cooking lessons from Silver. He wants to be able to cook for Lily the next time he sees her. This was a sound idea at first, but he was starting to regret it because Silver is very commanding and particular when it comes to cooking. He even graded Zelts's dishes. Zelts learned to run away anytime he saw 'cooking' Silver.**


	13. Overture

**Setting: City of Thieves**

Inside the ruined building of Concordia were Shiranui, Vago, and Grayson. The light of the moon shining down through the large holes in the walls. They were on the ground floor, waiting among the wreckage. Vago sat atop some boulders with his eyes on Grayson, who stood by the building's entrance. Shiranui made sure he stood between Grayson and Vago. The leader of the Ravagers was quick to let the so-called, 'Master of Shadows' into their ranks, but the fox faunus was not ready to trust him.

With Alexandrite's defection, Grayson was on edge. It was clear to Shiranui that he was starting to get desperate. And to make matters worse, Vago recently informed them that the Freelancers have resurfaced and Grayson wants to eliminate them. His plans to return to his home in Mistral was halted by this fact and his desire to take down Alexandrite and Royal. He wanted all loose ends in Vacuo to be tied before leaving and he was being rather rash about it. Shiranui was concerned about his friend, but he knew his worries would fall on deaf ears.

Successively tapping a finger on the stone, Vago grew impatient and shouted, "How long are we supposed to wait? Your so-called friend is taking her sweet time."

"Be silent," Shiranui quickly snapped. Half an hour passed since Vago joined the Ravagers and Shiranui already disliked him. Vago didn't pay the fox faunus any mind. Believing he was upset because he was a pet being forced to share his master. It did make Shiranui fun to mess with.

"What's with the frazzled tail, buddy? Just asking a question. I think I'm allowed to voice concerns."

"Both of you knock it off. If either of you were smart, you'd know not to say anything when she arrives," Grayson scolded the others, turning his head slightly to look at them.

"Who is she?" Shiranui asked.

"Teale Tear. A fortune teller and bounty hunter's best friend. She's made a great living with the services she has provided. An indispensable secondary member," Grayson explained.

"What's a secondary-" Vago was about to ask, but Shiranui quickly answered him.

"People who don't fight with the Ravagers, but provide us with resources and support."

"Ah… okay."

At that moment, someone did enter the building. A bald, middle-aged woman that wore long, blue-green robes that covered her from shoulders to ankles. Beneath it, the robes were a pair of sandals and on her face was an assortment of jewelry. A gold nose ring, five sets of silver rings going down her ears, crystal rock earrings dangling from the lobes, and a single silver lip piercing beneath her bottom lip. She had no eyebrows and her eyes were solid green. There were no pupils.

Teale didn't speak when she entered the building. She stared at Vago for a long time then at Shiranui until her eyes fell on a pleased Grayson. Vago found the woman to be creepy. Shiranui found her presence unsettling but kept his displeasure under wraps. Grayson walked up to her with a smirk.

"Teale Tear, good to see you. It's been a long time," he said in a friendly manner and put his hand out for her to shake.

Instead of shaking his hand, Teale places hers on top of his and says, "Grayson. Who do you need to find?"

He chuckles to himself. "Straight to business as usual. I love it." Grayson reaches into his pocket and pulls out some Lien. It's a considerable amount of money and he hands it to Teale. "There is someone I need you to find for me. A young woman named Violet Tulipe."

Teale takes the money and stuffs it in her robe, placing it who knows where, and asks, "Do you have an item or something with strong ties to her?"

"Unfortunately, no. We don't have a friendly relationship. I know this will take some time because of that, but we'll be able to accommodate you until you're done."

Tired of not knowing what was going on, Shiranui walked up to Grayson to figure out what was happening. "What's going on? How's she going to find Violet?"

"Oh yeah. I never told you about Teale. I haven't really needed her for some time. Teale Tear has a very special semblance. She calls it Wayfinder. It allows her to use her aura to find and locate anyone she wants through their aura or soul or whatever. Either way, she finds them. I needed her to help a lot before I settled in Vacuo. Like I said before, she's a bounty hunter's best friend."

"This will take some time. Perhaps a day or three to find her without something that's a part of her," Teale added before sitting on the ground, legs crossed, and activated Wayfinder. She closed her eyes and silently focused. Teale looked like she was meditating to Grayson and the others.

Vago silently watched the whole thing unfold. He didn't know what his role was at this moment. "So, we just wait?"

"Yup. Once Teale finds Violet, she'll form a connection with her, knowing her exact location no matter where she is in Vacuo or Remnant. There will be no place left for her to hide."

"Fantastic," Vago said sarcastically, "but there's no way to speed this process up? It's going to be kind of weird walking around this place with her just sitting there."

"You heard her. We don't have anything close to Violet to assist her," Grayson answered.

Shiranui brought his left hand to his chin, thinking deeply about something. After a minute of thought, the fox faunus asked Grayson, "Does the thing connected to Violet have to be an item or object?"

Grayson looked at his partner of a moment to think about the question. "I'm not sure. It's usually what I bring when I need her help. Why?"

"Make her stop. I have an idea."

Grayson eyes the fox faunus questioningly but knows his companion was more brain than brawn. He tapped Teale on her shoulder, breaking her concentration and ending Wayfinder. She was about to ask him why he did it until he told her Shiranui wanted to ask her something.

"You said you needed something connected to the person you're trying to find. Does that something have to be an object or could it be a place?" Shiranui asked.

"A location can also work, provided it has a deep connection with the target," she answered.

"Then we're in the best place for that." Shiranui turned to Grayson and said, "This place used to be the Freelancers' home before we took over. If we find out where they lived, it can help speed up the process."

Grayson smirked and chuckled at his clever companion. "That's why you're my number two." Hearing him say that made Shiranui swell with pride. The leader of the Ravagers walked to the exit of Concordia and said to the others, "We're going house hunting."

 **Setting: Team VRSZ Duplex**

Violet and Remus stood at the threshold of their home when Silver, Zelts, and Clair mentioned Grayson. Hearing his name after all this time sent a surge of emotion through Violet's body. Before she entered her home, all she felt was joy, but that ceased when she heard his name. She couldn't forget it. All the things he and his Ravagers have done to her and his team out of animosity and nothing more. Angered stirred her heart, but it was mostly consumed with confusion.

"What the hell happened?" she asked, unintentionally growling her question.

"I was in the middle of telling Silver and Zelts. You two take a seat. This is going to take a while," Clair told Violet and Remus.

Clair told the members of VRSZ everything that happened to her and her retinue in Corona. Their encounter with Royal, his selfish and dangerous disposition, Ebony, and Grayson's interference. She told them how Royal may be a potential threat to Nexus along with Grayson. Clair did let the team know that no one divulged that VRSZ was back or living in Nexus.

"The peace talks broke down, but at least there were no casualties and Grayson doesn't know you guys are around," Clair said to help everyone look on the bright side of her story.

"Actually, he might know we're around," Silver interjected. His words caught everyone's attention. He sighed and Zelts took the role of explaining what he meant.

"We… ran into someone during our mission. We never met him, but he said he was working for someone who'd like to see us dead. And how many people do we know who wants us dead?"

"Terra Cotta, Malinda, the Greyhounds, the Vermilion Siblings, the Ravagers, maybe the Underland family… and the entire kingdom of Atlas. Oh, and this Royal guy probably won't like us." Remus named a few, thinking Zelts's question was literal, not rhetorical. Violet sighed happily at his behavior. It did relieve some of her repressed belligerences.

 _"Man, we made a lot of enemies,"_ Silver thought to himself.

"No, Remus. I wasn't- Never mind," Zelts replied, a little exasperated from the long day, "That guy's probably a new member of the Ravagers and he'll tell Grayson he saw us. Sooner or later, he'll find out."

"The question is what do we do?" Silver asked aloud, but his question was directed at their leader, Violet.

He and Zelts already knew the answer: Grayson needed to be taken down permanently, but they needed to hear her say it. Clair wanted him to die for his part in Fortuna's destruction and for killing Sterling in cold blood. Seeing him again reignited her desire for revenge and she planned to have it, even if Violet chose not to kill him. Clair was ready to disregard the choice of her closest friend if it meant getting the justice she deserved. Remus held no feelings about killing; good or bad. He planned to go with Violet's choice, someone much wiser than him and someone he trusts to make the right call.

It didn't take long for Violet to make her decision. "Grayson is going to die. There's no other option."

"Perfect," Clair responded before the other members of VRSZ.

Zelts took a deep breath and sighed loudly. He knew this was coming and he accepted it. Killing people wasn't his thing, but Grayson was too dangerous and volatile to be left alone and Zelts doubted the blood feud between them would ever be settled in a peaceful manner. Silver and Remus seemed fine with her decision. The gunman never liked seeking out people to kill, ever since his days as a Greyhound but knew that putting his own feelings aside to do what needed to be done. Remus was just ready to get rid of Grayson for good.

The final clash with the Ravagers was unavoidable.

"So, what do we do? Head straight for Fortuna first thing tomorrow?" Zelts asked, referring to either Violet or Clair for an answer.

The two women shared a look and Clair said, "We're not going to rush into battle like amateurs."

"We'll preparations. It's not just Grayson we're dealing with. There are the other Ravagers and the city full of crooks that bend to his whim. If we go in now, we'll lose," Violet explained further.

"For now, let's be glad we have an objective and rest. We'll figure out the details another day," Clair told the others before she started yawning. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some well-earned sleep. It's been a long day."

Clair ascended the steps to her room on the second floor, leaving the team in the living room, but not for too long. "Clair's got the right idea," Silver before getting up from the couch. "Night, guys."

"Yeah, good night," Zelts said, going to his room as well.

Violet and Remus were the only ones left in the living room. The two glanced at each other and smiled warmly. Violet got up from her seat and walked over to Remus as she made her way to her room. Right when she was standing behind him, she bent down a placed a kiss on the top of his head. "Good night."

Remus felt his face heat up and he looked upward to see Violet's face. She flashed him one last smile before walking to her room.

"Good night," Remus called out before she walked out of the living room. It was his turn to go to his room and sleep the night away.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Stationed outside the boundaries of Vacuo's kingdom was Ebony's airship where she and her retainers resided. She preferred staying aboard her own vessel than be in the kingdom of Vacuo, playing the role as a truly neutral party. Blood and Zinnia sleeping in their rooms. Ordinarily, Blood would be flying through the night sky and Zinnia would be doing some night time training, but both of them were tired thanks to the earlier fiasco in Corona. The only person still awake was Ebony, who was in the kitchen area of her ship where she had a glass of red wine.

Her usual nonchalant, charming smile turned into a stoic expression. She was deep in thought about the events of the day and the events to come. The charming Vantablack found it difficult to believe people like Royal were rulers and that the kingdom still accepted his offer for an alliance. After everything she told the academy's higher-ups, they still wanted to ally with Royal and sanctioning Corona as an official settlement. It showed how desperate the kingdom was to demonstrate they still had control over the territory.

Ebony could admit to the others her displeasure of Royal. She considered him brutish and single-minded in his quest for strength. It reminded her of her aunt's insatiable desire for chaos which she also disliked. However, Ebony wouldn't admit aloud she was slightly jealous of Royal's status. Despite who he was, he still had a loyal following of people and he would be remembered by all of them for years to come. Whether it be for better or worse, Royal would be acknowledged in the history of Vacuo, something Ebony has been striving for all her life. She detested Royal with a passion and planned to remove him. Another piece in her grand scheme.

Corona, Royal, Grayson, the Ravagers, the kingdom, Nexus, Team VRSZ, and Clair. All important pieces.

Tonight, she needed to get her rest. Tomorrow, she needed to prepare for her first step.

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

A broken wooden beam was kicked in and several people walked through where it once stood. The one doing the kicking was Vago with Grayson, Shiranui, and Teale following after him. They were walking into the ruins of a building, a special building. The Ravagers found the old home of Team VRSZ. The building was not spared from the attack, Alexandrite made sure of that. It was reduced to rubble, barely recognizable to what it once was. Grayson scanned the area and only saw wood and metal scattered about.

"This is the place?" Vago asked.

"It was," Grayson answered.

"This is the spot Alexandrite attacked when we took over. It should be the old home of the Freelancers.

"Pretty dingy," Grayson commented as he looked at the destroyed home. He turned to Teale, who stood in the middle of the wreckage. "What do you say, Teale? Can you find a connection where?"

Teale closed her eyes a took a deep breath and sat on the floor. "Yes. There is a connection here and it holds more than Violet. There are others who held strong connections to this place, but all of them are slowly fading."

"Well, it's not like they live here anymore. I doubt anyone does," Shiranui said.

"Still, it's enough. It'll be much shorter to find her, probably all night. I hope that's not a problem," Teale said before activating Wayfinder a second time. She was already in her trance.

"We'll take turns watching over you," Grayson told her. Even though she was in the middle of focusing on her semblance, Teale could still hear them.

"Though I doubt anyone here would dare mess with you since you're with us," Vago proudly stated, making the fox faunus roll his eyes.

"If you feel that way, you can watch over her first," Shiranui told Vago.

"Can do. I can babysit the fortune teller. Go enjoy a walk with your master, pet." Vago's comment enraged Shiranui and he pulled out his lantern whip.

"Stop it," Grayson commanded them both. "We're going. Don't let anything happen to her, or else. Not even your shadow will be left when I'm done."

The threat seemed to be effective. Vago dropped his devious nature and silently watched his new teammates leave. He planned on guarding Teale until her work was done or until the others took over. Teale Tear sat in her spot with no sign of movement except for the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Several hours. That's all the fortune teller said she needed. The location of Violet and VRSZ was about to be disclosed to the Ravagers.

"Only a matter of time now," Vago said to himself.

* * *

 **Teale Tear is a character named after the color teal. She is a mysterious fortune teller with a semblance to locate others through her aura. An item or a location strongly connected to her target hastens the process.**

 **Ebony and Zelts share an interest in chess though Zelts enjoys the patience and Ebony loves the strategy. Seeing them play against each other would be interesting.**

 **Zinnia and Blood only get along at a professional level. Ebony insists the two get to know each other as friends and forces them to stay in a room together and talk, making the situation extremely awkward. They eventually talk about stuff, but mostly about Ebony and how funny they find her.**


	14. Friends & Foes

**Setting: City of Thieves**

The morning sun peaked its way into the sky, brightening the dark remains of night. Silence filled the remains of Fortuna as none of its residents have awakened from slumber. There were, however, two people still active though neither one was moving. In the old, destroyed home of Team VRSZ, were Grayson and Teale Tear. The former was standing with his back against the wall, or whatever was left of it, with his eyes closed. The fortune teller remained in the same position she has been for hours.

Grayson guarded her for three hours, waiting for her to find Violet with her Wayfinder. Teale informed him how long it would take, but as time as, he became more and more restless. The closer he was to his goal, the more surreal it felt. He was going to end her and her team once and for all. He deemed it necessary to tie up all loose ends before returning to Mistral. He couldn't be a successful mercenary leader if there were rumors about his failures in the past.

 _"I'm taking you down once and for all, Vi. Count on it,"_ Grayson swore to himself in his head.

A few seconds after he made this declaration to himself, Teale opened her eyes for the first time after closing them hours ago. At the moment they open, there was the smallest shining glimmer in her eyes. It was extremely hard to tell, but for an instant, the glimmer in her eyes looked like stars twinkling in the night sky. Teale took a breath, something she always did after using Wayfinder and informed Grayson when she was done.

"Where," Grayson asked Teale Tear and she answered him.

"Violet Tulipe. Nexus."

 **Setting: Desert**

South of Nexus was their first and most trusted allied settlement, Virago, the settlement famous and infamous for its break from social structure. A place where women control everything and men are second-class citizens. It was the home of Nexus council member, Carmine, and it was here that Team VRSZ was undertaking a mission.

On Saffron's behalf, Carmine hired VRSZ to investigate an area that was a dust mine and claim it before anyone else does. Virago was already well off when it came to dust thanks to its exploration division and to Vacuo itself for having massive mounds of dust. The mission to claim the territory housing the dust wasn't a mission that Saffron wanted the team to take seriously. Virago already had a surplus of dust they could use or market. Claiming this new one was out of greed instead of necessity which is why she didn't send out her usual forces to deal with the matter. This was an easy job with good pay.

"This job suuuuucks!" Silver shouted from the backseat of the hovercar. "I hate going to Virago."

"You say that every time. What's not to like about it?" Violet asked from the driver's seat.

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one wearing a leash and collar!" Silver told her.

Every member of VRSZ was sitting in the hovercar with Violet and Remus up front and Silver and Zelts in the back. Collars were wrapped around the boys' necks, the symbol of man's second-class citizenship in Virago. Not even the members of VRSZ were above the law. It was the very thing Silver dreaded when he came to this place.

"And I swear, you get a kick out of ordering us around when we're there," Silver deduced.

Violet didn't say anything. She turned around and a not so discreet grin made its way on her face. She turned back to drive and Silver glared at the back of her head. "I am getting you back when we get home."

"Quit being a baby. I don't even see why you're still wearing yours?" Zelts said as he removed his collar. Silver noticed Remus already had his off.

"What are you guys doing?" Silver asked.

"We're not in Virago anymore. We could take them off anytime now."

"Yeah," Remus added. "Why didn't you take yours off yet?"

"He probably likes having it on," Zelts teased with a smirk.

"Maybe I'll let Bianca know about your little kink," Violet remarked with a sneer. Silver yanked the collar off his neck and threw it to the floor. Frustrated and embarrassed, he sat in the hovercar and muttered to himself with a peeved expression. Zelts and Remus laughed at him and so did Violet. She wasn't going to mention this to Bianca, but it was always fun to ruffle Silver's feathers.

It took about two hours for the team to reach the area where the dust mine was supposed to be. The terrain had several large rock formations that were as tall as four-story buildings. The rocks cast shadows that provided necessary shade for travelers. It did well for Zelts and Remus as they sat beneath one of the stones to relish the lack of sunlight. Violet gave them a two-minute reprieve before they start their mission. She and Silver used this time to scout the area. He used Gravity to run up the side of one of the rocks and rested on top where he scanned the area for dust and for enemies. Violet stuck to the ground and used Invisibility to remain unseen as she checked around. If there were enemies about, she wanted to get the drop on them.

So far, Violet didn't see anything on her end, but her scroll did go off. Thankfully, she put it on vibrate which became instinctual whenever she was on missions. She pulled it out and saw that Silver was calling her. "What's up?"

"I got four people at the dust mine west of you. This will be tricky."

"No problem. We just get the jump on them, take them down, and take the dust for ourselves. Easy."

"I doubt that's going to work."

Violet was curious why Silver thought this way. "What makes you say that?"

"You'll see in a minute," was all Silver said.

She walked in the direction Silver told her the enemy and the dust was and she did find both, but now she understood why Silver said this would be tricky. Collecting dust from the side of one of the rock formations were the members of Team CLSH. Loden was excavating dust out of the wall with World Splitter along with Hazel's wasp drones that used their lasers to slice the crystals out with precision. Cerise and Sapphire were just watching from a distance with the former ready to use Shields if the dust became volatile and the latter ready to use her Spinnerets to pull them back.

The four girls were too occupied with what they're doing to notice Violet. Granted, she was still invisible and was watching silently. She figured they were here to do the same mission for the kingdom, turning this meeting into a conflict of interest. _"Maybe we can split the dust 50-50?"_

"Hey, guys!" Remus shouted after he teleported beside Violet while she was invisible and he caught all of their attention. Violet quickly deactivated Invisibility before the girls could notice, but realized Loden's Panorama allowed her to see 360 degrees around herself, so she probably already saw her.

"Remus? Violet? What are you guys doing here?" Cerise asked, not expecting to see them of all people at this location.

"Same as you. We're on a mission to claim this place for Virago," Violet answered.

At this time, Silver jumped down from his perch and slowly floated down to where everyone was. Zelts was still relaxing in the shade while the others met with CLSH. With the rest of the team scouting and the intense heat beating down on him, Zelts planned on getting as much relaxation as possible. Not like there was anything dangerous that needed his attention.

"Sup girls," Silver greeted as he landed in front of his teammates. "Looks like everyone's here for the same thing. What do we do?" he asked, saying what everyone there was trying to prolong.

They were all on missions to secure this place for their respective clients. Only a greeting was made and both teams were already at an impasse.

"Well, this was bound to happen eventually," Sapphire spoke up with a smirk on her face. "So. How do we settle this?"

"We can duke it out," Silver suggested.

"I'm in," Remus said quickly.

"Guys, we don't have to fight to solve all our problems. Right?" Violet looked to the girls of Team CLSH to agree with her, but that didn't seem to be the case.

A wave of stone was erupting from the ground and heading straight for the VRSZ trio. Violet was surprised, but she quickly rolled out of the way. Remus jumped out of the way and Silver leaped high in the air with Gravity. All three of them noticed the excited expression on Loden's face. Cerise, Sapphire, and Hazel had similar faces. They all wanted to settle this in battle.

Violet sighed because this, like most of their conflicts, would be dealt with through battle, but that didn't mean she hated the idea. She was more than ready to fight Team CLSH again. She pulled out a few Enigmas from her bag and Silver quickly shot at them while he was still airborne. Cerise moved behind Loden who spun her naginata in her hands to deflect the bullets. The sound of gunfire caught Zelts by surprise. He rose from his rested position and grabbed his Heart of Gold. He moved to find the others and figure out what was going on.

Sapphire shot her cables at a nearby rock and began to swing around the area for better mobility. In response to her movements, Violet used a hand signal to tell Remus to take on Sapphire. He used Checkpoint to teleport into the air next to a rock formation then kicked off of it to head straight to Sapphire as she swung in his direction. She saw him launch himself toward her and readied her cables in her left hand. He reeled Delta back and Sapphire whipped her five cables at him. Remus planned to cut through them but was shocked to see his sword clashed with her Spinneret cables and they weren't cut. He figured she reinforced them or replaced them with a stronger metal. The cables that met his sword wrapped around it and his hands. Sapphire flashed him a quick smile before delivering a swift kick to his jaw, forcing Remus to let go of Delta and fall back to the ground.

He was falling, but he disappeared in blue smoke. He used Checkpoint again to teleport above Sapphire and landed on top of her, forcing her to fall to the ground with him. The two landed in the sand in a heap until Remus got up before Sapphire. He grabbed Delta, but she still had some of her cables wrapped around his body. "Too bad, so sad," Sapphire mocked playfully as she got up. Remus looked at the cables on him and smirked.

"You better hold on tight," he said before turning his back to her. Sapphire didn't know what he meant until it was too late. Remus began sprinting around the desert area at high speed while dragging Sapphire around with him. He turned around to check on Sapphire he was surprised once again to see her standing upright and skating on the sand as he dragged her along. She laughed the whole time like it was some kind of ride. Sapphire Velum, forever the thrill seeker.

Two of Hazel's wasp drone were going after Silver. They fired round after round of laser blasts to keep him at bay and off isolate him from Violet, who was up against Loden and Cerise. Silver kept backing away to avoid the two drones firing at him in great harmony. There wasn't a single moment where Silver could stand still. He was forced to jump and dash around to stay out of harm's way, but it's not like he couldn't strike back. Silver fired dust bullets at them, but the wasp drones were much more durable than their last encounter. Even the lightning bullets weren't slowing them down, but they were taking some damage, just not as much as Silver expected. This was all done while she just watched the battle, commanding her weapons with the computer in her glasses, not even breaking a sweat.

 _"Tch. These things usually break down by now. She doesn't stop improving, does she?"_ he thought, proud of Hazel despite fighting against her. He jumped backward with Gravity to create some distance and seclude himself and Hazel's drones. He didn't want her to direct her assault onto Violet. The drones followed Silver, but Hazel remained in the same spot, operating her drone with no problems whatsoever.

Violet was having the most difficulty fending off Loden while Cerise supported her. Loden swung World Splitter around to back Violet into a corner, one created by Cerise who activated Shields to conjure force field constructs out of her aura. She created vertical walls directly behind Violet to prevent her from moving back and leaving her vulnerable to Loden's attacks.

Once again, Violet was backed into another force field wall. Loden took her opportunity to approach slash at Violet, but Violet reacted quickly and threw an Enigma with ice dust at Loden's right leg. It froze her foot and stopped her advance before her naginata could reach Violet. Loden was able to break out of the ice with sheer force, but the short time it took to do this gave Violet enough time to get out of the corner and activate Invisibility. Loden didn't hesitate to guess where she was and brought the blade of World Splitter to the ground and spun around. This action caused the stone and earth around her to erupt, making jagged stones rise all around and spread out. Violet was still close enough to be struck by one in her sides. It knocked her down and gave away her position, but Loden wasn't the one who attacked.

Cerise threw one of her Runaways at Violet and it went off in an explosion. Violet was able to roll out of the center of the blast, but she did take a hit to her aura, and Loden came in to deliver a stronger blow with her World Splitter. Violet quickly got on her feet, but she was still in the range of the large polearm's reach. Loden motioned to strike, but instead hitting flesh, World Splitter hit a shield. Standing between Violet and Loden was Zelts, protecting his comrades like he always does.

"Forgive me for being late. It was such a nice catnap," he joked to Violet.

"You came just in time," Loden answered with a grin. She and Zelts bared down on each other, neither giving up ground as a contest of strength was going on between them. Earth and wind. The two forces of nature were clashing with each other.

Violet saw this as her moment to go directly for Cerise. She jumped onto Zelts's shoulders then leaped over him and Loden to land near Cerise and Hazel. She landed in front of the two of them with ease. Neither tried to stop Violet from approaching them and they did nothing still as she drew one of her kukris. "It's over," Violet told Cerise with a triumphant smile.

"Yeah. It is. We win," Cerise stated proudly which confused Violet.

"Uh, we won the fight," Violet told her to clarify the situation.

"We accomplished our mission," Cerise said, pointing to Hazel. The bee faunus still had her third wasp drone with her and it was taking all the dust they were supposed to claim for Virago. The dust crystals were loaded on the vehicle the girls used to get here. Hazel smiled at Violet and Zelts because Cerise was right. This was their win.

Team CLSH was able to distract and outsmart Team VRSZ to complete their mission. Violet knew this and felt both proud and a little embarrassed, but mostly proud to see these girls grew into capable Huntresses. "Well played," she told Cerise, "you guys got us."

Cerise smiled widely when she heard that. It was nice to receive praise from someone she admired, but she and her teammates couldn't admire VRSZ forever. When you admire or idolize someone, you don't want to see them lose. CLSH wanted to surpass them one day and today was the first step.

"I'll call back my drones. They're still chasing Silver," Hazel said as she inputted the command for the drones to regroup.

"And Sapphire?" Loden asked.

"Woohoo!" Everyone turned to see Sapphire still hanging onto Remus who was still running around the area. He was laughing as he ran through the desert. What started as a fight turned into a fun time between friends. "we can give them a few minutes," Zelts suggested.

"You guys won, which means you won the bet. Lunch is on us. If you guys have time to spare?" Violet told CLSH.

"Yeah, we have the rest of the day to return to Shade. You guys have a place?" Cerise asked.

Violet flashed her a devilish grin. She turned to Remus and Zelts and hoped Silver could hear her. "Boys! Get your collars back on!"

"DAMMIT!" Silver shouted back and she chuckled.

 **Setting: Virago**

Both teams traveled to Virago where VRSZ gave Saffron their mission statement. The mission was a failure, so she couldn't pay them. Luckily, she didn't hold it against them. With the mission done, VRSZ had to ante up on their bet with CLSH.

They lost, so they had to take the girls out to lunch which they had to pay. The group decided on an all you can eat style restaurant where they could sit and eat at their leisure, though the boys were forced to get the food for everyone else since this was Virago. Remus and Zelts didn't mind, though Silver grumbled under his breath before making back to their table.

"Here you go, ladies," Silver said as he passed the girls' plates with Remus and Zelts. Both teams ate and talked amongst themselves.

"You guys were great today," Zelts told the girls.

"Yeah, we were," Sapphire spoke with pride swelling in her chest.

"I'll be honest, I didn't think you guys would win the bet," Violet admitted.

"That just shows how much we've grown," Hazel responded.

"Don't get used to it. We won't lose next time," Violet told Team CLSH, though she looked directly at Cerise.

"We'll see about that," Cerise retorted. The leaders of each group glared at each other, both seeing the other as a worthy rival.

Meanwhile, outside of Virago were two figures standing on the outskirts, staring at the settlement from a distance. These two were Alexandrite and Royal. The former looked on with confusion while the latter had a pleased expression.

"Why did you bring me here?" Alexandrite asked in a curt tone that Royal didn't mind. He liked her direct approach to everything.

"A gift, from me to you. You told me about how the people of your home refused to accept your power, your desire to rule by strength and force, and refusal to make you the next leader."

"Is the gift rubbing it in my face? Why are we here?" Alexandrite was not pleased with being back in Virago or being near it. So far, she liked being with Royal. He let her do whatever she wanted and fight any anyone she wanted. They even battled each other for hours almost every day and it always left her satisfied, but those moments were fleeting and they didn't matter to her now.

"Payback. That's my gift to you. Show them they were wrong to deny your strength. Make them regret their decision. Defeat or kill the people who wronged you, scare them, raze the city to the ground. Do whatever makes you happy. That's all I care about."

Alexandrite has never thought about ever coming back to Virago. However, she couldn't deny that her closest thoughts of her old home were taking down Saffron to prove she was Virago's best warrior. Maybe this gift from Royal was the opportunity she had been waiting for. Plus, battling the entire force of Virago sounded like an exhilarating time to her.

A wild smile crept onto her face. "All right. I'll accept your present, but don't interfere. This my vendetta," she commanded Royal as she approached the settlement.

"I wouldn't dream of upsetting my queen," Royal said as he watched her go. He loved the warrior side of her. Getting to observe her strength was a gift to himself if he admitted it.

Using her semblance, the Bedazzled Behemoth covered her body in red-colored crystal armor and held out her halberd. She was ready to begin.

"So, I've gotten pretty far with learning how to fly," Silver told CLSH as they talked at their table. Everyone was done eating, so they were just talking about their daily lives. "I can levitate and stuff, but I still haven't figured out how to move around on my own," he told Loden and Cerise with Remus listening in.

At the other end of the table, Sapphire was asking Violet and Zelts a personal question. "Um. How's Ghost? Is he doing alright?" Her face was slightly red with embarrassment. They could tell she still liked him and the time apart didn't change that.

"He's been doing pretty well," Zelts informed her. "He's actually been training with Violet and the others to get better and doing his job."

Sapphire was happy to hear he was doing well And Violet wanted to put her over the moon. "Ghost has been asking about you. Ever since the last time we met, he's been asking us how you were."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. I think Bianca says she sees him on his scroll, contemplating whether to call you or not. I guess he's trying to find the right thing to say," Violet chuckled at that last part.

Sapphire was overjoyed to hear Ghost wanted to speak with her again. Even though they had to part because of distance, it didn't mean either stopped liking the other.

"You should probably tell him just saying 'Hi' is a good start," Hazel told her friend.

"Yeah," Sapphire sighed happily.

The time between VRSZ and CLSH was enjoyable to all of them. Enjoyable, but fleeting. It all ended when the sound of people panicking and rumbling could be heard outside the restaurant. All eight of them stormed out of the building to see what was going on and they noticed several of Virago's female warriors were fighting a crystal-covered person with difficulty. They also noticed some of Virago's warriors were already on the ground unconscious. It didn't take VRSZ, CLSH, or the Virago warriors long to figure out who his person was.

Some of the warriors attacked up close with axes and hammers, but their strikes were either parried by the halberd or collided with the crystal, leaving only a few cracks. With sheer strength, Alexandrite repelled them away with a swing of her polearm, pushing them away from her person. The ones with guns fired when their allies were cleared, but their bullets hardly did anything to Alexandrite's armor.

"Ha! You guys have gotten weaker! Where's the challenge?!" Alexandrite's voiced boomed as she asked her former colleagues' this question. And to answer her question, several projectiles came her way. A throwing knife, a cherry bomb, a bullet, and a laser blast collided with her armor. The explosion from the bomb covered the area in smoke, and when it dispersed, Alexandrite was still standing with a few cracks and the knife sticking out of the crystal covering her chest.

She looked over to see her other foes standing before her and she grinned. "Didn't think you guys would be here now."

Team VRSZ and CLSH stood before Alexandrite, ready to fight. The other warriors of Virago left to inform Saffron of what was happening. It was clearly a one-sided battle, but having the odds against her was something Alexandrite loved. A massive, deranged smile was on her face, showing her excitement at the battle to come.

"I don't know why I'm asking this, but are you going to leave quietly?" Violet asked Alexandrite, hoping the former Ravager, yet still enemy would listen.

Alexandrite's answer was her charging at everyone standing against her. VRSZ and CLSH did respond in kind. All while Royal watched from afar.

* * *

 **Both teams keep in touch with each other on their scrolls., telling each other about current events and CLSH letting VRSZ know how they're acing their classes at Shade.**

 **Ghost used to be afraid of Remus when they first met, but that faded with time. Now, he's very afraid of Azura. She thoroughly beats him during hand-to-hand training. Azura can admit Ghost has gotten better and he does recognize her strength but is still scared of her. Bianca sees this as Ghost and Azura bonding as teammates.**

 **In Nexus, C.P. has been performing scams to amass money. All of them fail and Onyx usually has to clean up the mess or help bail C.P. out of trouble when Violet isn't available. After months of this, Onyx has grown to enjoy his cousin's company, seeing him as a lovable idiot to his genius. He can do without C.P. constantly hitting on women.**


	15. VRSZ Royal: Bow Before the King

**Setting: Virago**

A battle cry howled throughout Virago as Alexandrite charged at both teams. Violet and the others would've considered this reckless if it was anyone but Alexandrite doing this. The first to respond was Remus. He dashed to her before she could close the distance and had Delta in his right hand. The others had their weapons at the ready. Seeing the Cobalt was coming directly for her, Alexandrite thrust her halberd forward to skewer him, but Remus dove down to slide against the sand, moving past her the large blade of her weapon and slipping through her legs. When he did this, he sliced at her leg with Delta. The attack was able to cut through the crystal, but it wasn't enough to reach or damage Alexandrite.

Everyone else jumped afterward to overwhelm Alexandrite with pure numbers. Loden moved in and swung her naginata at her, but the Bedazzled Behemoth block the weapon with her own polearm and swatted her away with pure strength. Jumping over Alexandrite and kicking off the building wall behind her was Violet with her kukris covered in ice. She had her frozen swords in hand and tried to slash Alexandrite with both. Alexandrite was able to follow her quick movements and counter by striking with her halberd. The clash of weapons caused the ice to break apart on Violet's knives, but neither fighters were harmed. Violet landed in the ground behind Alexandrite and leaped away.

Hazel activated her three wasp drones and had them fire lasers relentlessly to grab her attention. The laser blasts were able to make some cracks in her crystal armor, but nothing damaging. Silver was by her side as he fired a barrage of ice dust bullets to slow down her movement and it worked. Ice dust from his ammunition covered her arms, legs, and torso, slowing her down enough for the others to attack without much resistance. Violet threw three fire Enigmas at Alexandrite which exploded on impact with her armor, breaking through the armor on her chest and the ice. Loden moved in and jabbed World Splitter into Alexandrite's exposed body, causing her to be stunned momentarily.

Sapphire wrapped her cables around the older woman, but she wouldn't budge. "I could use a hand here," she called out to the others.

"On it!" Silver replied, activating Gravity to affect his guns. He used Gravity Bullet to fire a shot at Alexandrite and affect her with his semblance. Her body became as light as a feather, allowing Sapphire to lift and swing her around with her cables.

"Thanks!" she answered before hurling Alexandrite at Zelts.

"Batter up!" Silver called out for fun as Zelts had his shield ready. He slammed it against Alexandrite as she collided with Heart of Gold. The blunt force of Zelts's attack was strong enough to break through the majority of the crystal armor protecting her.

Sapphire's cables unraveled from Alexandrite's body as she fell to the ground. Her armor took most of the blow, but it did knock the wind out of her. Alexandrite was rocked but all right, though the battle didn't appear to be in her favor. However, that didn't deter her from continuing. She was ready for more. Royal watched far away so no one could notice him and his smile turned to a thin line as he continued to observe. He wondered who these people were. They piqued his interest. Who could be strong enough to stand against his queen?

Alexandrite got back on her feet and activated her semblance to cover her feet the ground beneath it in a purple crystal. From the ground, crystal spikes began to form, rising to Alexandrite's height and covering the area around her, making the terrain difficult for anyone else to enter and walk around. She covers her polearm with the crystal of the same color, making sure the crystal covering the blade was exceptionally sharp.

The closest to her was Zelts and he could've used his wind to blow her away, but it was not the best move to make. The battle was in the middle of Virago where the buildings weren't stable and the people were still around. Creating any wind could damage the settlement or hurt innocent people, something Zelts would never do.

The person who did act was Cerise. She had a plan in mind and set it in motion with Hazel and Remus. The Blue Flicker ran past his shield-wielding friend running to Alexandrite. She saw him coming and got ready to face him, but Remus didn't attack, in fact, Delta was attached to his back. He stopped before running into the crystalized ground and ran around it. Alexandrite did her best to keep her eyes on him, but he was moving too fast for her to keep track. Soon, in the middle of his run, Remus leaped toward her and landed a palm strike on her arm before landing near her. The attack didn't hurt her much and she moved to impale him with her weapon. Remus was able to pivot his body out of the halberd's blade then he jumped over to Alexandrite again, maneuvering around her body like a spider monkey. She couldn't land a hit, but not once did he fight back.

Hazel's drone flew above them and Remus knew that was his cue to leave. The drones didn't fire their lasers but opened the small compartment hatches of their main body and several of Cerise's Runaway bombs fell from them, falling right above Alexandrite's location. When the small explosives scattered at the ground around her, Alexandrite decided to get out of her spot as soon as possible, but she couldn't. Cerise used Shields to create a force field bubble surrounding Alexandrite, keeping her and all her bombs contained inside that small space.

There was no place for her to run, no way to avoid the full force of the explosion. The best thing Alexandrite could do to protect herself was to use her semblance. Adrenaline kicking in, her eyes flashed to many different colors as she rapidly blinked. Red, blue, yellow, purple, magenta, green, gray. Then the Runaways detonated, consuming Alexandrite in a series of fiery explosions while the force field kept the explosions contained, though it was an ordeal for Cerise to keep it up. Fortunately for her, the explosions ended and she deactivated Shields. The smoke from the explosions cleared and Alexandrite could be seen, still standing with some of her crystal armor, broken and shattered, covering some parts of her body which received a few burn marks from the explosions.

Everyone was surprised to see her still on her feet after that attack, but they were also impressed.

"She's always been strong," Saffron said, approaching the group with two of her warriors. "I liked the drive she possessed, but it fueled her lust for battle, corrupting her. She followed that desire all her life and this is what it has led to."

As Saffron finished speaking, Alexandrite fell backward into the crystal-covered ground. The crystal armor disintegrated and so did the crystal floor. Alexandrite was unconscious and badly injured.

"Thank you all for dealing with her, but she's Virago's problem. Always has been, so it's our job to take care of her." Saffron ordered her two guards to shackle and restrain Alexandrite then take her to the town's infirmary.

The two women reached for the defeated warrior until someone shouted, "That's quite enough!"

Saffron, her warriors, CLSH, and VRSZ looked over to see Royal approaching. Team VRSZ knew about Royal from Clair, but they never met him or knew what he looked like. Violet guessed it was him based on how he came to Alexandrite's aid. She and the others figured they were going to fight again. No one let their guard down.

As Royal walked over, Saffron pulled out her dust whip and stood before her two guards, making sure she was between them and Royal as he continued his walk, not slowing in pace. Suddenly, everyone could feel it. The air became thick, it was getting a little difficult to breathe, a massive weight fell upon all of them. This was the other thing Clair mentioned about Royal; his aura was intense. It exuded from his body and the pressure could be felt by all. It demonstrated the raw power he possessed. It made Violet question whether the man was human. She never felt strength like this before.

Royal was imposing. That was the statement that ran through her head. All their heads.

Saffron and her warriors got the worst of it. Her legs were trembling and she was sweating profusely while her followers fell to their knees, unable to withstand being in his presence. Royal purposely let his aura run wild so those around him know his presence demanded respect and fear, like a lion, the king of all beasts. Seeing the effect his aura had on them, Royal decided to make his wishes known.

"All of you put on quite a show. I'm impressed you all took down Alexandrite so quickly, but that's as far as my enthrallment will go. I can't have you take my queen away from me. She deserves to be by my side and my side alone."

He walked past Saffron and her people and made his way to Alexandrite, who was still unconscious. He reached out his hand to pick her up, but his arm was restrained by a mechanical whip. Holding onto his arm was Saffron's whip as the monarch mustered the strength to gather her bearings and oppose him. Her breathing was ragged but she stood up to Royal.

"She's not going anywhere," Saffron stated to Royal. He was slightly astonished she was able to find some semblance of strength to withstand her aura, but he disliked his commands being defied.

"I'm starting to see why Alexandrite wanted to leave this place. You refuse to listen… It was a gift to my queen, but so what? I'll defeat you in her place and destroy your home as a reminder of what happens to those who-"

As swift as ever, Remus ran toward Royal in the middle of his threat and leaped toward him, hitting Royal in the right cheek with his knee. He then kicked himself off Royal with his other foot and landed between him and Saffron. His interference made Royal acknowledge the others. He was more than happy to fight all of them at once. He was going to show them what it meant to be king.

With her whip still wrapped around his arm, Royal pulled his arm back, lifting Saffron off her feet and hurdling towards Remus who she crashed into. Hazel's drones were already flying around Royal, but he ignored them and Loden dashed to his position to fight him head-on with Zelts. She tried to attack him by ramming him with World Splitter, but he grabbed the polearm with his bare hand and halted her charge. Loden was shocked by his strength. No one has ever done that with such ease. Zelts used this moment to ram into Royal and push him to the outskirts of Virago. His Heart of Gold did collide with him, but he didn't budge. Zelts looked over to see Royal stopped his attack with his other hand.

 _"How strong is-"_ Royal quickly tossed Zelts and Loden aside before Zelts could even finish his thought. Zelts slammed into a metal building. Loden was about to crash into a stone one until Sapphire whipped out her cables to catch her. She knew she didn't have the strength to grab both Loden and Zelts and felt bad she couldn't protect him but thought he could take the hit.

Royal used this short reprieve to grab Alexandrite's halberd to use as his own. He placed it behind his back and kept it secure with his armored belt. After picking up the weapon, he was suddenly being hit by a barrage of slashes from all over. Remus was running around, striking him from all his sides, too fast for him to defend. Silver used this opening to use Gravity Bullet, firing a bullet at Royal to make his body light, then Violet threw an Enigma with wind dust at the man's feet. The wind dust in the knife released a small vortex that propelled Royal into the air.

Violet gave Remus and Silver the hand signal for their team attack, Cirque de Ciel, and they got ready. Remus took hold of Silver's shoulder and used Checkpoint to teleport them into the air, in the direction Royal was flying towards. When he did, Silver used Gravity to jump off Remus and float further away. When Royal flew Remus's way, the Blue Flicker kicked him toward Silver who grabbed Royal by his arm and threw him to the ground, outside of Virago. Cerise and Violet both knew Zelts and Loden couldn't go all out without destroying Virago. Everyone rushed over to where Royal, Remus, and Silver were. Saffron was ready to join them, but Violet told her to stay behind. She needed to gather her other forces to protect Virago.

 **Setting: Outskirts of Virago**

Royal was laying on the ground with Silver and Remus several hundred feet away. Their team attack harmed him, but barely. His aura protected him from any real damage and his aura levels were large enough that he didn't need to worry about dodging or protecting himself as much as regular Huntsmen or Huntresses. He was impressed that this group of people were able to put him flat on his back so quickly, even if it didn't hurt. Royal began to get back on his feet until Silver jumped in and bashed Fenrir as escrima sticks against the king's back. He unleashes a merciless barrage of blows to keep Royal down, but he grabbed Silver by his throat and held him as he got to his feet. Royal glared at Silver as he choked him.

"D-do over?" Silver managed to say as his throat was being squeezed.

"Silver!" Remus cried out as he ran to his friend. Silver put both his arms on Royal's and activated Gravity, increasing his own mass tremendously.

Doing this to himself put great strain on his body, but he felt like it needed to be done, even though his body felt like it was being crushed into itself. Even with the increasing mass, Royal was still holding Silver up, so Silver increased his mass again, damaging his body even more as Royal was forced to lower his arm. When Silver was lowered, Remus jumped toward Royal and hit him it the face with a palm strike then followed up with a kick to his neck. Royal was hardly fazed and he grabbed Remus's leg after the kick and held the Cobalt into the air with his silver-haired companion.

"What…now?" Silver asked Remus rhetorically. Remus answered by activating Checkpoint, teleporting himself and Royal away from their location. Silver fell with a tremendous thud. His body was too heavy to move until he deactivated Gravity. He groaned and stretched his cramped body before looking around for Remus and Royal. Moving his body took tremendous effort, but Silver knew he had to continue the fight, even if it hurt.

"Silver!" Violet called out as everyone ran towards him. "Where's-"

The kicked-up sand in the distance told Violet where they were. Remus and Royal were further away from Virago. She told Zelts to go all out and Cerise did the same for Loden. both elemental warriors took to the front lines as they headed straight for Royal. Sapphire and Hazel's drone followed behind. Cerise went as well and Violet was about to join them until she noticed Silver struggling to get up. The increased mass to his body did considerable damage. His aura didn't take a hit, but his body was hurt directly.

"Stay here until you get your second wind. Something tells me we'll be coming back here real soon."

"We got this, right?" Silver asked, not liking the serious, deadpan tone in Violet's voice.

"I hope so," she said before dashing to the battle.

Remus continued to run at high speeds around Royal. He had Delta in its base sword form and started blitzing Royal. He ran toward him and landed a sword strike every time, moving too fast for Royal to actually touch him. The multiple blows were hacking away at his aura and he was forced to raise his arms to somewhat protect himself. The king of Corona was forced to guard against a flurry of strong slashes. His strength was greater than Remus's, but he was slower. Royal realized he needed to balance the scales.

When Remus struck Royal again, a faint, purple light shined between the two of them. Remus continued his speedy tactic, but he noticed something was wrong, very wrong. He was moving slower, slower than he wanted. He was still fast, but he couldn't muster anymore speed. However, he knew he had enough speed to continue with his strategy. Remus ran straight for Royal, who smirked to himself. The regal conqueror saw Remus coming as ran straight for him, shocking Remus tremendously, because his opponent didn't just see him, he was moving just as fast as he was. Seeing this for the first-time left Remus stunned and vulnerable to Royal who punched him hard in his stomach. Royal's Libra lowered his strength to match Remus's, but the punch still knocked the wind out of the young Cobalt. Royal followed through with his action and knocked Remus away, making him fly just above the sand before he rolled and tumbled past everyone that was coming to help him before laying in the sand, clutching his stomach.

"Come at me at once! Make this more sporting! Make it worth the effort!" Royal shouted before charging at the party of fighters coming his way.

With Libra still in effect, Royal was faster than any of them anticipated. He was closing the gap between both parties, but his newfound speed didn't surprise them for long. Zelts split Heart of Gold into wingblades and swung them at the man, releasing a violent gust of wind. The force of nature kept Royal at bay and would've lifted him off his feet if he didn't pull out Alexandrite's halberd and slam in into the sandy ground to help keep himself in place.

Cerise throw some of her flash bombs into the wind and let it carry her weapons toward Royal where they blew up in his face. He was momentarily blinded and Loden plunged World Splitter into the sand and swung upward, throwing a stone javelin at Royal and repeating the move to do so again. The regal conqueror didn't know what was going on around him. He was blinded and the strong wind around him made it impossible to hear anything. Eventually, he felt something hard and big collide with his shoulder and another hit his chest. He figured they were hurling stones at him, attacking from a distance while the wind kept him pinned, believing they didn't want to face him up close. He planned on ruining their plan. Royal deactivated Libra to use his own strength.

Through sheer force, Royal rose to his feet, pulled the polearm out of the ground, and marched forward, going against the wind that was blowing everything else away. His actions continued to impress and intimidate everyone.

"That's…a thing," Sapphire commented, flabbergasted.

"Zelts, amp it up to eleven! Show him what you got," Violet ordered and he followed through. Zelts stopped releasing wind and activated Conversion, absorbing all the dust in his clothing to reach full power. He felt like he was going to need it.

Sapphire, Loden, Cerise, and Violet moved forward to try and overwhelm Royal. Loden took the lead, swinging her naginata to land a crushing blow, but he countered with the halberd. The moment their weapons connected, Loden could feel how strong Royal was. The divide in their strength was vast, but knowing that fact didn't sway her from fighting. Royal reeled the polearm back to strike again, but Cerise used Shields to create a force field barrier to block his attack and give Loden and opening, but it didn't go as plan. Royal's attack broke through the force field and struck Loden. She was sent flying across the battlefield, further then Remus, landing near Silver who walked over to see if she was okay.

Lasers were being shot at Royal from above. He looked up to see Hazel's drones were still flying around. They weren't doing much damage, but they did make him look up, leaving him open for Sapphire. She got behind him and whipped out her cables. She wrapped them around his body in order to restrain him. Royal looked behind his back to see her and grabbed the cables around his body with no difficulty. He yanked the cables and pulled Sapphire with them. He began twirling the cables like a lasso, spinning Sapphire around helplessly. He kept going and had her crash into each of Hazel's drone. The wasp drones were knocked out of the sky and badly damaged, along with Sapphire who he tossed into the air when he was done. Cerise created a force field bubble around Sapphire to catch her friend who was unconscious.

"Dammit! What's up with this guy!?" Cerise complained to Violet, who was trying to think of a way to stop Royal. The man was superhuman and was beating each of them with ease. She already knew she couldn't beat him in a head-to-head fight, but she hardly ever fought that way. Violet preferred to be tactical.

She looked behind her for a moment to see Zelts was fully charged. She just needed to make an opening for him, even if it was a small one. Violet pulled out some Enigmas and used Invisibility to make them invisible. To Royal, he saw Violet fling her hands at him like it would do something, however, he began to feel a piercing pain around his body. He noticed parts of his body were being covered in ice. He wondered how she was doing this until ice covered his face. Royal's body was frozen, but he was using his immense strength to breakthrough.

"Zelts!" Violet called out for her friend and he responded. He absorbed all the dust in his clothing until there was nothing left. His eyes shined a shimmering gold, the sign that he was using Conversion at full power.

With his body enhanced by his semblance, Zelts sprinted to Royal while he was still in ice. He bolted past Violet and Cerise and reeled his fist back before throwing it at Royal's face, shattering the ice covering his body and knocking the regal conqueror back several feet. Royal was knocked on his back a second time in this fight. To say he was surprised was an understatement. Very few people can land a hit like that and knock him down.

Zelts moved in to punch him again while he was down, but Royal caught fist with a single hand. It was Zelts's turn to be stunned. Alexandrite and Chrome were the only people who could hold their own against him at full power, but Royal might be the first person he has met who was still stronger than him at this level. He was stronger, but Zelts could see his punch was strong enough to do real damage. He needed to be the one to fight Royal directly. He struggled to press his fist down as Royal held it. The man was trying to get up, but Zelts grabbed his massive shield from his back and smashed it against Royal. It was incredibly effective and Royal let go of his fist, but he responded by kicking the shield and Zelts away.

He split his shield while still in the air and landed on his feet. Zelts was about to swing his wingblades to create a tornado, but Royal quickly hurled Alexandrite's halberd at him. Zelts parried the weapon with one of his blades, but Royal was already running toward him. He was too close for Zelts to have enough time to make a tornado. The regal conqueror tackled into Zelts with his shoulder while Heart of Gold was still wingblades, pushing him back further from his original spot and closer to Virago. They past Violet and Cerise who weren't out of the fight yet.

Zelts raised his left arm and slammed the handled end of the wingblade into Royal's back, forcing the man to stop and buckle a little. Violet dashed to Royal from behind and kicked him hard in the back of his knees, forcing the man to fall on them. Zelts used this moment to get behind him with Violet and she raised her arms to protect herself when he swung his arm at her. She felt how strong he was with her arms shaking from the impact, but that didn't stop her from throwing one of Cerise's bombs at him. It exploded and lightning shot out of it. It electrocuted Royal and he was stunned, giving Zelts the time to create a powerful tornado.

As Violet was about to fly through the air, Remus used Checkpoint to teleport right behind her and catch her in his arms. He recovered somewhat and was glad he arrived in time to help her. Violet mouthed 'thank you' to him before the Blue Flicker changed Delta from sword to laser rifle form and unleashed a barrage of bolts, pelting Royal from behind until Zelts got behind him as well, giving the Knight of the Wind enough time spin his blades and conjure a tornado.

The tornado he created towered everything. The wind was gold, violent and surged with electricity. It took the rest of the energy Conversion gave Zelts to make this windstorm. Royal couldn't withstand the force of the vortex and was swept up into the storm. With Conversion almost drained from this attack, Zelts was relieved he got him, but the heat of battle made him forget what direction the tornado was going: Virago.

People were running away from the tornado that was coming into their home, leaving Virago to protect themselves. The storm began dragging in buildings, destroying the settlement Saffron called home. Silver and Loden watched from a distance, at a loss for words. Saffron and her warriors were escorting her people, including Hazel, out of Virago which was partially torn apart.

"Violet! Remus! I need you!" Zelts shouted for his friends. He needed to correct his mistake as soon as possible. Those two went to their friend while Cerise went to look after Sapphire.

 **Setting: Virago**

Before Violet or Remus could ask him what he wanted, Zelts told them what needed to be done. Violet gave him a handful of her Enigmas and he absorbed all the dust out of them with Conversion. He was at full strength again. Remus placed a hand on Zelts and used Checkpoint. In a wisp of smoke, the two fighters were within Virago. Remus teleported again so they were in the air in front of the tornado that was sucking them, buildings, and debris in. Remus had Delta out and Zelts split Heart of Gold into wingblades. The duo raised their weapons high and swung their blades downward, mustering all their strength to cut through the tornado. The might behind the three blades was enough to slash through the violent wind and disperse it.

Buildings and debris fell to the ground along with Remus and Zelts. The former jumped from debris to debris until he landed safely on the ground. Zelts fell and tumbled into the sand with his aura taking the damage for him, but the use of full power Conversion twice in one battle, a grueling battle, had his aura teetering on the edge. He was exhausted but glad the battle was over.

"Is it ov-" Remus was about to ask his friend until a hand reached out and grabbed his face. Royal stood before him and Zelts with a thrilled expression. The king of Corona was badly hurt. His aura levels were very low, lower than they have ever been in years. He found it exhilarating.

"Now that was a fight!" he bellowed before lifting the young Cobalt and throwing him into a stone building. Remus crashed through the wall and laid there with his aura breaking.

Zelts tried to get up, but Royal kicked him down to ground. On his back, Zelts felt Royal's foot on his chest as the man pressed down, squeezing the air out of his lungs. Zelts attempted to move it, but he had no strength left after his big stunt.

"So, you're the Freelancers! The people my queen has been telling me about! No wonder she found you all so fascinating! This was a great day! An extraordinary day! This…" Royal trails off as he remembers why he came to Virago in the first. "…This was a gift to my queen and I forgot about it…" Royal lifted his foot off Zelts and kicked him away with a disheartened look. Zelts tumbled into the sand while Royal left to find his queen and take her home.

Virago was left in shambles. More than half of the settlement was destroyed in the conflict. Fortunately, no citizens were injured which was a victory of itself, but that didn't change the fact that the Royal won the battle. The combined efforts of Team VRSZ and CLSH could not defeat him. The losses today were devastating.

The female warriors were spreading their forces. The majority made sure none of the citizens were in further danger and the rest checked Virago current status and structural integrity. Saffron handled reports from both parties while speaking to VRSZ and CLSH. Both teams were tending to their wounds among the rubble. Luckily, some of their injuries weren't serious or life-threatening, but that made them feel worse. Compared to the settlement they were meant to protect, they got off easy and none of them found that acceptable.

Violet was very upset, but she didn't want to show the others. Before they all regrouped in the rubble of the town, she punched a piece of debris repeatedly to quell her anger. She continued to punch the stone until her what remained of her aura broke, no longer protecting her knuckles from the reckless impact. Violet took a deep breath to calm herself. This was one of the worse setbacks she or her team has ever had.

Zelts felt the worst about it because he caused the destruction. His carelessness led to this and he felt horrible about it. He sat on the ground, knees up and head looking down. He didn't want to talk to anyone, least of all Saffron. He destroyed part of her town and believed she should have been angry with him.

"Are you guys okay?" Saffron asked everyone and they responded with a yes or a nod. Zelts was the only one who didn't respond. Saffron took notice of this and approached him with a stern look. She placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "If you guys weren't here to fight for us, I fear the damage would've been much worse and a lot of people would've died."

Zelts didn't say anything, but he was able to raise his head and look Saffron in the eye. She gave him a small grin to show she wasn't upset with him. She managed to remove a lot of weight off his shoulders, but Zelts still felt a little guilty about what he did.

"I think it'll be best if all of you go home. Not like there's anything else you can do," Saffron told everyone.

Cerise looked at her teammates. Sapphire and Loden were doing better after being given time to recover. Hazel was able to stay out of the conflict, but she was upset her drones were damaged. Saffron was right. There was nothing else they could do, as a team or as students of Shade. Virago was an unauthorized settlement, so the kingdom wasn't going to come and help them get back on their feet. It was time for them to return home.

Cerise got up and told her team it was time for them to return to the kingdom. She turned to Saffron and thanked her for everything and wished her luck. Cerise looked over at Violet's team. "You guys make it back okay, alright?" she told them.

Violet had to chuckle to herself when she heard that. "Since when did you guys have to start worrying about us? We'll be fine. Go get some rest." Cerise smiled and departed Virago with her team, taking the transport they used to travel to their original mission.

"Will you guys be alright?" Silver asked Saffron. "This place has been through a lot."

 _"A lot is an understatement,"_ Violet thought to herself, feeling horrible they played a part in Virago's condition.

"It's fine. I'll contact Carmine to let her know what happened and request aid from the other settlements to help get Virago repaired. I'll take some time, but we'll manage. As long as my people aren't hurt, I'm good."

"Wish I could say the same. Can't believe that asshole did this to us," Silver complained. "So, that was Royal."

"He's tough," Remus commented. The young Cobalt could admit he was very impressed with Royal's strength, at least to himself. He didn't think now was the time to compliment a fellow fighter.

"Tough doesn't touch the surface of what he is. That guy's a freak of nature," Silver retorted, speaking harsher than he intended to. Today has been unexpectedly tough on all of them.

They were all silent. The impression Royal left on them rendered them speechless.

"He's strong. Incredibly strong," Violet told the others, who felt like that fact didn't need repeating, "but he is not invincible." Her teammates and Saffron looked at her after that statement. She knew all eyes were on her, but Violet didn't want them to be discouraged like she was earlier.

"Royal can be hurt. We proved that even if we lost. He's an amazing fighter, but he's not some immovable object that can't be overtaken. If we strategize how we face him next time, we'll win."

"How are we gonna do that? We couldn't even beat him with the girls fighting with us. You think we can take him down on our own?" Silver asked flabbergasted.

"Yeah, we can," Zelts answered, speaking for the first time since the fighting stopped. Even if they lost, Royal didn't leave unscathed. "We hurt him badly, and if we coordinate our moves, we should be able to take him down."

"I don't like the 'should' in that sentence," Silver remarked.

"Alexandrite has an enormous grudge against Virago," Saffron spoke, getting everyone's attention, "and she'll come back to settle the score and Royal will be with her. They're a threat to my home and I want them gone…but I can't do that. Corona is an authorized settlement allied with the kingdom. If we attack them, it'll be seen as hostile and the kingdom will come for us. That's why-"

"You want to unofficially hire us to take them down," Violet summarized for her.

Saffron shook her head. "No. I'm not saying that. I'm just voicing my thoughts. If a rogue team were to oppose Corona, it would be seen as an isolated incident connected to no one. Team VRSZ is known to live in Nexus, but Clair made sure to cover up any relationship between the team and the town's higher-ups. And if you do eliminate a threat of Virago, I would be more than happy to give VRSZ a generous gift to show my gratitude."

Violet broke eye contact with Saffron to look at her boys. "Let's go home and prepare, boys. We're heading to Corona and ending Royal. That's our mission, our _personal_ mission." She started walking to where the hovercar was and the others followed.

"I wish you luck," Saffron told them as they left. violet didn't acknowledge it because this was an undercover mission that can't trace back to Saffron or Virago.

Silver walked beside Zelts to ask him, "Do you really think we can beat him?"

"Royal's the strongest person we've ever faced. But…we can find a way to defeat him." Zelts's resolve grew. He was confident they could face him again. Their bout made it apparent the king was vulnerable and Zelts needed to do this to make amends for Virago.

VRSZ left Virago to return to Nexus. Tomorrow, they planned to attack Royal at his front door.

* * *

 **The way I do VRSZ's story and conflict is applying Murphy's Law. Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. The setting or story isn't convenient or somehow work out in the team's favor. That is lazy, boring, and not how I do or enjoy stories. At the end of volume 5, I thought, 'What's the worst thing I can do to them?' and that's what created the destruction of Fortuna. VRSZ will always have just as many failures as they would successes.**

 **There's also no power scaling in VRSZ. That is also a boring fighting mechanic. VRSZ is more like Pokemon. Different types do better against some, but not all. One person could have a better chance of fighting one person but do horribly against another based on their semblance and skill set. For example, Remus will always be vulnerable to Blood's Paralysis. He won't get so strong that it won't affect him anymore. No. He will always be weak against Blood's semblance.**


	16. VRSZ Royal: Throne War Part 1

**Setting: Ebony's Airship**

The flying vehicle owned by the charming Vantablack was sailing above the sandy ocean of Vacuo with the sun rising in the east. She and her team were heading to the location designated by the higher-ups of Vacuo or would've been designated. Word began to spread about the events that took place in Virago yesterday. How Royal entered the female-ruled civilization and left it in ruin. His actions left the people of the kingdom and those living in Vacuo unsettled. The strife he caused has created some backlash with the kingdom who deemed the regal conqueror worthy enough to be allied with them.

Virago may have been an unsanctioned settlement, but they were attacked out of nowhere and left to ruin. Because of their lack of authorization, the kingdom refused to send aid, at first. The people were extremely outraged that the kingdom neglected to assist them when their supposed 'ally' destroyed the place. After hearing the unrest, the kingdom did send aid to Virago, but they were too late. Saffron denied any help from the kingdom, making them look worse. Another part of the incident the citizens didn't like was the fact that Royal attacked another settlement and had yet to receive any form of punishment. Does the kingdom applaud acts of violence against unsanctioned settlements that pose no threat?

The kingdom of Vacuo was in hot water. They were desperate to find a way to rectify this dilemma. Royal may have been an ally, but he refused to speak with the kingdom. His alliance played out exactly as the kingdom wanted, a demonstration of power, nothing more, nothing less. It backfired immediately. That was the reason the kingdom decided to send Ebony to Corona and handle Royal. Luckily for her, they didn't specify how to deal with him. They only gave her one statement.

 _Make this right._

Ebony was on the deck, looking at the desert below her airship. Her face was a quiet calm. Behind her expression was a brain thinking about many different things at the same time. All these thoughts led back to one point, her goal. She smiled to herself, thinking about the fruits of her plans and it all began in Corona with Royal. The self-proclaimed king was the first piece on her chessboard to fall.

"Lady Ebony," Zinnia called out to her boss and friend, "are you okay? You've been standing there for a while."

What Zinnia said was true. Ebony stayed in that spot for two hours straight while the trip to Corona was four hours long. Blood asked Zinnia to check on Ebony since they had a better connection than he did. The bat faunus had the ship on autopilot and sat outside looking at the desert below with vigilant eyes. At first, Blood hated the heat and the sun of Vacuo, but he realized how accustomed he was getting to Vacuo. He acknowledged this place was his home.

Ebony returned to her usual, playful demeanor and turned to her Underland companion. "Awwww. You're worried about me? How sweet." Ebony cuddled up to Zinnia's side and the Underland chuckled in response. This side of Ebony was no longer strange to her.

"Friends can be concerned with one another. Is what you're thinking about Royal? How are you going to deal with him? He doesn't seem like the type to listen to reason or take orders from anyone," Zinnia expressed her concern.

"Correct. Royal will most likely ignore everything we say on behalf of the kingdom. If anything, we'll have a fight on our hands based on our last visit. He prefers to settle deals with battles."

"That might be difficult. Royal is…formidable. It would difficult for all three of us to take Royal down. Possible, but difficult," Zinnia admitted.

"Smart as always, my lovely Zinnia. Fortunately for us, we have a fourth member standing by our side. And based on Royal's recent events in Virago, I assume a certain group of people won't take this lying down," Ebony concluded with a smile.

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

It was early morning and many people were still asleep. One person was sleeping in her bed at this moment, but her blissful snooze couldn't last. Not today.

"Violet… Violet, wake up," a familiar voiced called to her, waking the leader of VRSZ from her sleep.

Every day like clockwork, Violet opened her eyes with Remus being the first thing she sees, perched above her as he wakes her up. He awakened her earlier than usual because she asked him to do so.

Today was the day she and her team were going to Corona and eliminate Royal.

She looked at Remus with a warm content expression, despite the messy bed hair and groggy appearance, and he smiled back at her. Violet reached out and placed a hand on his left cheek, "Good morning."

"Morning," he replied back with a jovial tone. "Silver and Zelts are up and ready to go. We're just waiting for you."

"I'm the last one? That's a first…" she rose from her bed and glanced at Remus again. Seeing him made Violet want to sleep in with him and waste the day in bed together, but they had work that needed to be done. "Give me a few minutes. I'll join you guys soon."

Remus nodded and was about to get up until he turned back to her and placed his forehead on hers. She was surprised by his initiative, even if it was small, and they stayed like this for a few more seconds until Violet told him she needed to get dressed.

In the training room of the duplex, Clair and her team were in the middle of early morning combat training. Bianca was helping Clair polish her hand-to-hand combat and she could tell her liege and friend was improving greatly. Ever since the Lady of Nexus's encounter with Grayson in Corona, she has been requesting more training sessions from Violet and Bianca. Her drive to kill the Ravager was obvious.

Ghost, on the other hand, wasn't improving at the same rate. He was making strides, but he still wasn't enthusiastic about the process. He really didn't like it when Azura was his partner. He believed she held some slight enjoyment knocking him around. She told him before that wasn't true, but the small smile on her face during training made her statement dubious, even if she claims it's just her Cobalt blood boiling from any form of combat.

Ghost threw a couple of punches at Azura, but the Sky-Blue Warrior got down on the floor and swept him off his feet with her leg. He landed on his backside and heard the mocking laugh of his best friend.

"Oh, that is great!" Silver said as he took out his scroll. "Can you do that again? I want to get this on video," Silver said with his scroll out and ready to record.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Ghost barked at his friend, disliking the ridicule this early in the morning.

"Stand up and put your hands up," Azura commanded Ghost. "Keep training and you'll be able to kick his ass without relying on your semblance."

Ghost thought about Azura's statement then looked at Silver who looked back at him. He got back on his feet and got into his fighting stance. "Let's go," Ghost said with a serious tone with a look to compliment it.

Silver realized Ghost really wanted to knock him out and it made him rethink about teasing him during training. The gunslinger was too busy to notice Zelts and Remus enter the room and stand beside him until Remus spoke.

"Azura, what's your semblance?"

"Hm?" she stopped working with Ghost when her cousin asked this. "Why does that matter now?"

"I know you're helping Ghost to stop overly rely on his, but I realized I've never seen you use yours, ever. What is it?" His question did make Silver, Zelts, and Ghost think. They looked back on their time with Azura and came to the same conclusion that they never seen her use her semblance.

"…I don't know," she mumbled, too low for anyone to hear.

"Could you say that again," Zelts asked, with the same curiosity the others possessed.

"I don't know what it is," she confessed with an angry tone. "I never unlocked it. Didn't need to thanks to these." Azura released some fire from the dust tattoos around her wrists.

"You should try to figure out what it is," Zelts told her calmly.

"Yeah, you don't want to rely too much on your dust in a fight," Ghost retorted like a smartass, and he regretted it when she eyed him menacingly.

"I think it's a good idea to unlock your semblance," Clair chipped in, showing she and Bianca stopped training during the conversation.

"Do I have to?" Azura whined like a child refusing to do homework.

"Someone with your aptitude for combat could unlock it within the day," Bianca told her comrade and friend.

"Do it for me?" Clair asked, giving the female Cobalt her puppy dogs eyes.

Azura rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. I'll figure out my stupid semblance."

Clair smiled at her victoriously then turned to Bianca. "You and Ghost help her figure it out outside of Nexus. Don't want to figure out her semblance inside the city, just in case."

"Got it," Ghost replied as he walked out the training room. He bumped fists with Silver before leaving.

Azura made her way to Remus and put her hand on his shoulder. "You got a crazy day ahead."

"Uh-huh," he replied with a grin. "We'll be back."

"Better make it back in one-piece, little brother," she said affectionately for the first time.

Bianca kissed Silver on the cheek, "Please don't do anything stupid."

"No promises," he replied with a goofy smirk and she rolled her eyes playfully.

Zelts smiled at them until he felt a pair of hands cupping his face and turning his head. He saw that the person doing this was Clair and she planted a small kiss on his forehead, shocking him greatly. She let go and he back peddled instinctively. She giggled at his reaction and he wanted to know why she did it.

"Didn't want you feeling like the odd man out. Be safe," she said before leaving with her group. Zelts didn't blush but did grin a little at the small gesture.

Violet entered the living room just in time to see the Enforcers leave the duplex. The only one she was able to interact with was Clair who approached Violet and kissed her on the cheek just like she did Zelts. Violet didn't pull back from the action, but she did rub the spot Clair kissed and groaned. "Do you have to do that every day?" she complained.

"Someone has to love you," Clair quipped.

"I get enough love already. Are my boys ready to go?"

"You got it, boss," Silver answered as he and the others entered the living room. Despite Silver's casual answer, the air in the room was serious.

Everyone on the team knew what kind of fight they were going to start and the danger their foe presented. They all made all kinds of preparations for the fight to come, but whether they would lead to success was open for debate. No battle ever survives contact with the enemy; a common fact.

"You guys better make it back home before the day ends. I'm making dinner for all of you. Think of it as a congratulatory celebration for beating Royal. We'll all be waiting," Clair told them with a smile, showing she had full faith in all of them.

Violet has lived with Clair long enough to know her friend can't cook. She wasn't as hopeless as Remus, but it was clear she was not suited for kitchen work. Violet could only assume Clair was going to have someone else cook or just order something.

"We'll be back in no time," Remus responded.

Clair smiled at all of them as they exited their home. Team VRSZ got into their hovercar, Fantasia 3.0, and drove to Corona to confront Royal. The ride from Nexus to Corona would take six hours.

 **Setting: Desert**

It was an extremely long drive for everyone. The team had to rotate drivers so no one was driving for too long and they stockpiled on water and some rations to keep hydrated and fed. It was a good choice to leave so early in the morning too. The sun was barely up so it wasn't beating down on them with intense heat and the air was still a little cool, making the ride very manageable for the first four hours, but as the sun got higher in the sky, the desert began to rise in temperature.

"Let's hope we settle this today because I really don't want to come here again," Silver complained from the passenger seat. He sat with his legs on the dashboard and his seat reclined as far back he could with Violet sitting behind him.

"Same. Let's not do this again," Violet agreed with him, a rare moment for Violet to complain about a mission. She was the most professional out of all of them.

Driving the Fantasia was Zelts and he added his two cents into the conversation. "If we do, we should ask Clair to let us borrow her airship."

The only one who didn't complain was Remus, but it wasn't like he enjoyed the ride. He was in the back with Violet and his face was the face of true boredom. He was slumped down and his eyes were glazed over, focusing on absolutely nothing. He was done with this drive.

"Are we there yet?" Silver asked no one in particular. The gunman was in the front and could clearly see they were still two hours away from their destination.

"Don't start with that," Zelts warned him.

 **Setting: Corona**

"Finally," Ebony said aloud as she walked off her airship with Blood and Zinnia. She stretched her arms and legs out to show how tired she was with getting here.

"Um, Ebony. You might want to take a look at this place," Blood told her.

The charming Vantablack inspected Corona with a closer eye and noticed the massive settlement was in a different than she last remembered it. Corona was in disarray. Many of the buildings were in shambles or destroyed and not even in a certain area. Many random buildings were damaged. "…Okay," she responded.

Ebony landed her airship just outside of Corona. When she and her team entered the town, they got a better look and noticed how its horrible condition. A lot of buildings were worse compared to her last visit, but the people of Corona seemed content in their ruined home.

"This place has seen better days," Blood commented.

"She was right," Ebony stated.

"Milady?" Zinnia called Ebony, not understanding what she meant.

"Clair was right about this place. It's too large for a territory like Vacuo which is too scarce of resources. Corona can't fully support itself with this population and I doubt Royal cares what happens to his people as they follow him for being strong."

"That's not all. I think Alexandrite's influence is partially to blame," Zinnia added, based on the knowledge Ebony told her and her experience with the Bedazzled Behemoth. "Her desire to fight has probably resulted in her and Royal battling each other on the streets as some weird form of foreplay."

"Very smart," Ebony complimented her Paragon. "This place has gone downhill. I'm sure a certain someone is very unhappy with the way things are. Let's go see Royal."

Ebony and her retainers continued into the damaged settlement of Corona to reach the castle-like home where Royal and Alexandrite presided.

 **Two Hours Later**

After a long, grievous ride, Team VRSZ finally arrived in Corona. Silver drove the Fantasia for the last leg of their journey. He parked right outside the settlement and the team walked into the damaged town. None of them were concerned about someone taking their hovercar. They doubted anyone knew how to operate a hovercar and the gravity dust that allowed it to hover changed and made the vehicle extremely heavy, making it nearly impossible for anyone to snatch.

"So, this is Corona?" Zelts said as they walked around. Just like Ebony and her group, they took note of how some buildings were badly damaged compared to others. It made this place seem barely hospitable, yet the denizens seemed to go about their day like they didn't mind. Some of them were even trying to repair some of the buildings and structures, so it wasn't like they were completely fine in living in such poor conditions.

"This place is a dump," Silver voiced his opinion blatantly.

"It's huge!" Remus said, impressed with the size of this place.

Violet looked around and noticed how some of the people were watching them. This was to be suspected. The team was a foreign species in this ecosystem. They were bound to grab someone's attention, but she didn't want this to ruin their element of surprise. They needed to find Royal before he found them.

"Remus, Silver. Bird's eye view," she told them and they got to work.

Remus and Silver jumped on top of the tallest, nearby building and scoped the area. Back to back, Silver and Remus scanned what they could see of Corona. The Silver-Tongued Gunslinger found the Coliseum and Remus spotted the castle where Royal lived in. The two of them leaped from the building to report their findings.

"I found a big stadium west of here. Seems like an arena for something. Not sure what," Silver told Violet.

"I found a really big building to the northwest. It's the biggest building in the whole town," Remus explained.

"That could be the place," Zelts told Violet. She thought the largest building was the place to go.

"You guys better get ready," Violet warned her boys.

The gravity of the situation was great, but there was something else that caught their attention. The team noticed something about Corona's people they found odd. They heard the whispers and praise the people had for Royal. Many called him a savior, others used words, like, the greatest king, benevolent, all-powerful, infallible. With Corona looking the way it did, VRSZ doubted these claims based on their own experience with their beloved ruler, but it was clear the citizens of Corona adored Royal.

Out of a personal vendetta, VRSZ planned to eliminate Royal. What would that do for the citizens of Corona? Violet and Zelts thought about this. He was a tyrant, but he is the power behind this place, so would removing him from power ruin these people's lives or make it better somehow? This thought process ran through their minds, but it didn't change their decision. Royal was dangerous to everyone outside of his kingdom and he needed to be taken down.

 **Setting: Royal's Palace**

"TELL THE KINGDOM OF VACUO TO STAY OUT OF MY AFFAIRS! I TAKE ORDERS FROM NO ONE! NO ONE!"

The discussion between Royal and Ebony were going exactly as the charming Vantablack predicted and as she wanted it. She sat at the table she occupied the last time she was here with Blood and Zinnia sitting beside her. Both her retainers looked ready to defend their lady at any time. Alexandrite sat on her own throne. It was next to the one Royal sat on. The crazed smile she wore made it clear she was hoping a fight would break out. The lizard faunus had a complicated expression on his face. It was hard to discern each emotion, but frustration was the most apparent one.

Times in Corona has been difficult for Brenton Drake. Alexandrite's influence has made Royal more aggressive. The two lovers enjoyed battling each other and their fights started taking place wherever and whenever they wanted, including random places in Corona which the duo left in ruin. Brenton was tired of trying to fix Corona, but he was reaching his tipping point with Royal who allowed and indulged this behavior. Brenton was at his limit and this meeting only made it worse.

The situation unfolding before them all was extremely volatile, exactly as Ebony wanted it to be. She was here on behalf of the kingdom to reprimand Royal in some fashion, but Zinnia and Blood realized she was veering off the kingdom's directive. In fact, Zinnia didn't think Ebony was using Charm to persuade him into the deal but fanning the flames of his anger. Actually, Zinnia didn't think she was using her semblance at all. Royal seemed like the type to be quick to anger if he felt his position was threatened.

What Zinnia didn't know were Ebony's intentions. Why was her liege angering Royal and coaxing him into opposing the kingdom? She assumed a fight would take place if they weren't careful, but it seemed like Ebony was leading to that conclusion and Zinnia didn't understand why.

"I'm sorry, but your stunt in Virago upset a large number of people. They're demanding punishment or some sort of retribution and the kingdom agrees. Even you can't deny the voices of so many people. The unrest you're causing is only making matters worse for everyone," Ebony told him while glancing at Brenton. The lizard faunus noticed her and realized why she said that.

After their first encounter in Corona, Ebony and Brenton exchanged numbers. They've been in contact with each other through their scrolls and it was because of their talks that Ebony knew how vexed Brenton was getting with Royal. He hated the man's disregard for the people who put their trust and faith in him, and Ebony comforted him with sweet words and promises to help better Corona. It was thanks to these talks that Brenton gave them an audience with Royal. It was also thanks to these talks that Ebony saw something fascinating in Brenton and she was putting it all to the test with this statement.

"I don't care how many people protest my actions! I'll do as I please! Tell your kingdom and their people to-"

Suddenly, there was a very loud knock on Royal's doors. It echoed throughout the room and caught everyone's attention. After the first few knocks, more followed them, louder and more rapidly. It wasn't stopping and it made Royal irritated. None of the citizens were allowed in unless they were giving him offerings, and even then, they had to silently kneel before his doors until he answered. Knocking was forbidden.

No one did anything as the knocks persisted. There was nothing for Ebony and her group to do. This wasn't their house. Her eyes were on the door then went back to Royal, who was clearly agitated by the knocking. He ungracefully rose from his throne and made the long, angry march to the doors while also grabbing a sword about his height with one hand. He swung them open with all his might and one door was knocked off its hinges while the other was halfway dangling off its hinges.

"Who dares?!" he bellows and does not see anyone around the entrance.

Angered and confused, Royal scanned the area but didn't see any of his citizens. He had no idea what was going on. The others stayed in the castle, watching Royal handle this matter. Like him, they didn't see anything, not at first, but that changed quickly. Slowly and silently descending from the air behind Royal was a familiar face.

"Yo," Royal heard someone say from behind. He turned to see two barrels of guns aimed at his face. Behind those guns was the Silver-Tongued Gunslinger with a small grin on his face.

"Bang!"

Silver fired Fenrir directly at Royal's face. The bullet of one of the guns was filled with fire dust while the other was wind. The combined shots consumed Royal's face in flames while also knocking him off his feet and down the stairs of his castle. He landed on his feet when he reached the sand below, but the attack clearly enraged him. Silver stood on top of the stairs and looked down at Royal with a satisfied face.

The citizens heard the gunfire and looked to see their king being attacked. They were shocked at first but figured whoever was attacking him would be dead shortly, so they looked on in confidence. Brenton, however, was surprised someone was brave enough or dumb enough to strike him. His surprise lasted briefly as Alexandrite nearly soared out her throne and rushed to Silver. He followed behind her.

"Wait," Brenton heard and he turned to Ebony after she called out to him. "We need to talk."

 **Setting: Corona**

Alexandrite was approaching Silver from his backside. She reeled her arms back and swung her halberd at him, but he jumped in the air, away from Alexandrite's weapon, and landed on the side of the building using Gravity to stand perpendicular to the wall. Recognizing Silver, Alexandrite smiled. "Today's full of surprises!"

Royal recognized Silver as well and his anger was slowly fading now that he knew who assaulted him. "You here to lose again?!" Royal shouted at Silver.

The most surprising thing happened after Royal instigated Silver. The Silver-Tongued Gunslinger didn't respond. He had no quip or snarky remark for the regal conqueror. He stayed silent as he looked at Royal with silent focus. He aimed one of his guns at Royal who raised the sword to deflect the bullets, but he wasn't hit by Silver's gunfire.

Two swift but strong blows hit him in the face and right ribs. Remus kicked him in the ribs and Violet hit him in the face with her knee. Violet quickly followed with a kick with her other foot, kicking him in the face, forcing Royal's head to turn to the left. Royal's aura took the hit while he remained stoic. Immediately after her kick, Remus moved to grab Violet's arm and he used Checkpoint to teleport the both of them out of there, popping back up several feet away from their original position. He made sure his blue smoke completely covered Royal. The man couldn't see his surroundings until it was too late. In front of him was the shadow of a person and emerging from the thick, blue fog was a shield. Zelts bashed his Heart of Gold against Royal as hard as he could, sending him flying into a building.

At the same time, when Silver had one of his guns aimed at Royal as a feint, he aimed the other one at Alexandrite. He fired it, but Alexandrite already coated herself in her crystal armor that was yellow in color. She used her semblance beneath her feet to create a pillar of crystal so she could rise and reach the gunslinger. Silver sprung off the fall while he was still above her and used Gravity to increase mass greatly and land on top of her. He shifted Fenrir to escrima sticks and slammed down against her halberd. The weight of the attack and Silver together stunned Alexandrite as she blocked it with her weapon, however, the weight was so tremendous that the crystal pillar beneath her began to crack and break apart. Alexandrite and Silver fell straight down, back to the entrance of the castle. The increased mass of Silver was great, but it wasn't impossible for Alexandrite to handle. She tipped her halberd to the side to tilt Silver over and she quickly pivoted her feet to get out of her position and swung her weapon against Silver's side.

He was hit pretty hard and knocked down the stairs, landing close to where Zelts was. The knight looked at his friend after he sent Royal into the wall of a building. "Focus, Silver. You're the key to ending this fight quickly."

Silver got up while shifting Fenrir to guns. "I know," he grunted in frustration and pain.

"Aaarrrggghhhh!" Alexandrite let out a battle cry as she jumped from the top of the stairs toward Silver and Zelts. The team knew very well that fighting Royal included dealing with Alexandrite. As a team, they could handle her, but not soundly and she wasn't going to make it easy.

"Remus, do it!" Violet told her teammate who ran in front of Silver and Zelts. He leaped high in the air directly at Alexandrite. She wasn't expecting him and he was able to grab her hand holding her weapon. He used Checkpoint, teleporting himself and Alexandrite away from the battle. Seconds later, Remus teleported back to where the others were.

"She's far away in the city. She won't interfere," Remus told the others.

The building Royal crashed into began to crumble and collapse with the king himself standing among the rubble. His usual sporting demeanor was nowhere to be seen. He was furious that he was being attacked in his own home. The angered man planned on crushing VRSZ with all his might.

He had his massive sword in one hand and picked up a large piece of stone from the fallen building with the other. He lifted it with ease and threw it at VRSZ like it was a ball. The large stone was coming their way, heading straight for Violet, but she remained unfazed because she knew a certain someone would protect her. Standing in front of her was Zelts with his massive shield, defending her from the stone that collided with his weapon and was reduced to rubble.

She was confident Zelts would shield her, but deep down, Violet was nervous. She wasn't tired, but she was sweating profusely and her heart was racing. This was extremely risky. They had to stick to their plan to make a dent in Royal's large reservoir of aura. Any mistake could be fatal, especially since it seems Royal's out for blood.

 _"Just stay focus. Look for an opening. Give Silver as many openings as we can,"_ Violet thought to herself.

Royal ran straight for Violet and Zelts after they got on the defensive. Halfway through his charge, Royal was smacked in the face by Remus's palm strike. The attack didn't hurt the king but it did make him flinch a little. The Blue Flicker quickly ran out of Royal's reach and began sprinting around Royal too fast for him to touch him. He changed from hand-to-hand to swordplay, splitting Delta into its two swords form and unleashing a blitz of slashes against Royal's body, dealing a considerable blow to his aura, but not enough. He was hit with another sword strike. Remus slashed Royal in the gut and the two began to briefly glow purple, a sign that Royal activated Libra.

During the onslaught, Silver toward Violet and Zelts who held his shield up above his head. Silver and Violet jumped onto the shield and Zelts sprang up, letting the duo jump high above Royal and Remus. Violet had a few of her Enigmas in her hand and Silver aimed his guns at Royal. The two unleashed their long-range attacks, but Royal ran away at surprising speed, letting the bullets hit the sand along with the knives that froze the ground.

His speed was not Surprising to Remus, having experienced this yesterday. The young Cobalt swiftly combined his one-edged sword and short sword back into one then transformed Delta into its laser rifle form. The setting for his rifle was set to rapid-fire and Remus shot out a barrage of energy bolts at the fast-moving Royal who nimbly evaded most of them. He wasn't fast enough to avoid a few bolts that hit his arms, chest, and legs, but his aura was still protecting him from any real harm so he continued running toward Remus until he tackled and pushed him into a building.

Remus's aura took a big hit and he abused the fact that his aura kept him safe and emerged from the building quickly. He glared at Royal then ran in the opposite direction while changing the setting of his laser rifle. Royal followed after him. They ventured further into Corona and the rest of VRSZ followed the chaos. The Cobalt and the king were playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Remus ran away from Royal, moving through crowds and maneuvering around buildings to create space, but Royal didn't care about the buildings of his city or his people. He knocked down anyone in his way and used his large sword to cut openings in buildings and structures to walk through them.

Eventually, Remus reached a dead end in an alley and Royal was already blocking his only exit. The regal conqueror wasted no time dashing for Remus with his sword already over his head, but his target vanished in a puff of blue smoke. Remus didn't know what Royal did to slow him down while speeding himself up, but he knew he could still react to speedy enemies better than his opponent. Royal may have been able to get the drop on Remus during their first encounter, but he wasn't surprised by him anymore. When he teleported, Remus reappeared above Royal with Delta aimed at the back of his head. He changed the laser rifle setting so he could fire charged shots similar to his old railguns and after letting his weapon charge for the duration of their chase, it packed a punch. Remus fired Delta at Royal's backside. The laser blast at such proximity pushed Royal to the ground and into the stone dead-end of the alleyway, making a Royal-sized hole int the wall with Royal in it. Remus ran out of the alley, leaving the king to stew in his anger.

The VRSZ trio following Remus heard the laser fire and made their way to their friend. He ran into them and was glad they could regroup. Despite all that they've done, Royal's aura was still intact.

"He's still fighting," Remus informed the others.

"Nothing we didn't already know," Silver commented.

"We just have to keep him off balance so he can't counterattack correctly then you get him with-" Violet motioned to Silver, but she stopped short when she and the others heard some rumbling from one of the buildings next to them.

The rumbling didn't stop and the wall of a building began to crack until it broke apart. Appearing through the hole was a familiar halberd and the person holding it was Alexandrite with a furious look. It seems like she didn't appreciate Remus taking her out of the battle and VRSZ didn't appreciate her showing up. Her involvement in the battle would make their situation impossible. Keeping Alexandrite and Royal separated was the course of action they needed if they wanted to have the best chance at beating Royal.

"You guys get to Royal," Violet said as she had pulled out of her kukris. "I'll stall her and catch up! VRSZ Fantasia!" she ordered her team with fierce determination.

Reluctantly, Silver and Zelts went to where Royal was. Remus lingered a little longer before leaving. He was concerned about Violet for a moment, but he remembered that Violet was the best of them. She could take care of herself.

"Grayson's bitch," Alexandrite spat at Violet who was clearly provoked by the insult. She knew Alexandrite was referring to her as Grayson's adversary, but Violet absolutely hated having any association or affiliation with that bastard. She planned on keeping Alexandrite out of commission, but now she was going to make it hurt.

Alexandrite thrust her polearm at Violet who sidestepped to the right to avoid it. She was strong, on par with Zelts, not as strong as Royal, but she was still strong. She was also slow, slow enough for Violet to move around without much worry. With her kukris, she stabbed her blade into the armor covering Alexandrite's shoulder then she activated the dust in the fourth slot of her knife, wind dust. The wind dust was compressed at the tip of the blade then released at once like a small explosion. The burst of wind broke through the crystal and pushed both women away from each other. This was the first time Violet used the wind dust with her kukris. She didn't completely understand what was going to happen.

The Bedazzled Behemoth noticed her yellow crystal was breached and was about to repair it while attacking Violet at the same time. She swung her halberd at Violet, swing low to get her legs, but Violet easily evaded the weapon by jumping over it, however, Alexandrite anticipated this and swung her weapon again in the opposite direction. Violet was struck by the pole of the halberd instead of the blade, taking a smaller hit to her aura but the bigger hit came when the attack threw Violet into the wall. She crashed through it and landed in someone's kitchen.

"Dammit," Violet grumbled as she got up. She put her kukri back in its sheath and took out a handful of Enigmas with fire dust.

Wasting no time, Alexandrite moved in to strike, but Violet rolled out of the way then jumped to get some distance. She threw all her Enigmas at Alexandrite while she stood before the hole in the building. The throwing knives stuck into the ground around Alexandrite. None of them actually touched her and the dust within the hilts began to activate. Violet speedily pulled out another throwing knife and threw it in Alexandrite's direction, having it land right in front of the crystal-covered warrior. This Enigma was different compared to the other ones. The dust in it was gravity and it activated.

The gravity dust pulled in everything around it. This included Alexandrite, the chairs, and table in the kitchen, every appliance that wasn't nailed down, and all the Enigmas with fire dust. Alexandrite was being dragged toward the gravity Enigma and she couldn't get away. Try as she might, she couldn't pull herself away. She made sure her crystal armor was covering her entire body because she knew what was coming next. _"Not again,"_ she thought to herself.

Violet dashed out of the area to head to where her teammates were and avoid what was going to happen. _"Thank you, Cerise,"_ she thought to herself. After seeing Cerise in action yesterday, Violet picked up this tactic from her former junior.

Alexandrite was covered in furniture and knives that were going to explode. She completely encased herself in yellow crystal and waited. After a few more seconds, all the fire Enigmas went off. The building Alexandrite was in exploded violently. Violet didn't look back as her priority was her teammates. She didn't know how they were faring against Royal.

Out of nowhere, a large column of blue flames rose high in the sky. It looked to be three stories high and it was close by. Violet wasn't sure, but she assumed that was where her boys were. "Please be safe,"

The tall flame tower subsided, but Violet knew its position and was already there. Turning the corner, Violet made it to the point where the blue flames were and saw the opposite of what she wanted. Standing before her were her boys with Silver and Remus looking more injured than before and Zelts standing in front of them with his Heart of Gold as wingblades. In front of Zelts was Royal appearing more disheveled and down on one knee, but standing before him was someone Violet didn't recognize. He was an unknown variable in her plan and the right-hand man of Royal.

Brenton Drake stood before Team VRSZ with his greatsword revolver, Oathburner. The flames surrounding him and imbuing his weapon were blue instead of their natural color and his eyes clearly told the team he was ready for battle. It took everything they had to face Royal. Now, the battle looked bleak.

* * *

 **Violet has an assortment of throwing knives to use in battle. Her Cheshire's Enigmas come in various types to give her diverse attacks, tactics, and utility outside of combat. First, are the two kukris she has strapped to her sides. These are for close-combat and they have four slots in the hilts for dust; fire, ice, gravity, and the fourth slot is left open for whatever she wants to put in it. The majority of her Enigmas are throwing knives with various forms of dust; fire, lightning, ice, wind, earth, and gravity. The last knife in her arsenal has a cable wrapped around it, serving as a grappling hook.**


	17. VRSZ Royal: Throne War Part 2

**Several Minutes Earlier**

 **Setting: Royal's Castle**

Brenton watched as his liege was attacked by a gunman from behind. He jolted when Alexandrite sprang from her throne to revel in battle then followed after her to fight by Royal's side.

"Wait," Brenton heard and he turned to Ebony after she called out to him. "We need to talk."

The lizard faunus looked at the charming Vantablack perplexed. Now was not the best time for a conversation. He heard the sounds of combat coming from outside. "I'm sorry, but my liege needs me," Brenton excused himself and continued to the doors.

"I insist that you listen to what I have to say. It's important for the future of Corona," Ebony told him. She spoke while using Charm to influence him to sit and listen.

What was so important that it superseded the battle at hand? That was Brenton's line of thought, but he also thought about what she said about this discussion being about Corona's future. The way things were now, Corona wouldn't have a future. Feeling compelled to listen to her, Brenton turned to the table and sat across from her. Ebony smiled as he took a seat and ended Charm.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked with a hint of impatience.

"Corona can't survive with Royal as their king. It's clear as day," she states with no hesitation.

"…" Brenton doesn't say anything because he knew a part of him believed her statement. Things were slowly declining before then Alexandrite's lust for battle fueled Royal's, making things worse.

"People are attracted to strength and power. How can we not be? It's enticing, seductive, and appealing. We want it for ourselves or we gather to those who have it. Royal has both and the people flock to him like a moth to a flame, a flame that blinds them to the suffering he is inflicting on them," Ebony explained to Brenton with a serious tone so he understood the gravity of her words.

"And how I remedy this? I'm trying to persuade Royal to methods that benefit the citizens, but he refuses to listen. As he said before, the king doesn't serve the people, the people serve the king."

"I do not accept," Ebony replied and Brenton eyed her with confusion. "Because Royal is strong, does that make him right? Do the strongest decide all because no one can oppose them? Submit to my rule or perish? I do not accept that way of thinking which is why I oppose Royal's way and so does the kingdom."

"…You're not here to appease Royal, are you?" Brenton asked. The tone in his voice became serious. He reached for Oathburner hanging from his left hip, and in response, Blood got in fighting stance and Zinnia grabbed her whip sword. Ebony's face was serene as she had her gaze fixed on Brenton. Even with the reptilian faunus reaching for his weapon, the charming Vantablack did not flinch or reach for her weapon. She continued her discussion with him.

"Correct. Royal is too dangerous to be left to his own vices. I'm here to cease his tyrannical rule, by any means necessary, and I want you to do it with me. With Royal defeated, the people will see he isn't invincible and they'll lose faith in him. They'll search for a new king and that person should be someone they'll accept, someone who will look out for their well-being, someone like you. Help me usurp Royal, Brenton."

Ebony made her wishes known to Brenton, and she did so without the use of Charm. To her, it wouldn't mean anything if he joined because of her manipulation. Someone of their will following her was important to Ebony. She wanted to get results in her own way. Unfortunately, she might not have gotten her way this time.

Rising from his seat, Brenton slowly walked away from the table. He didn't say anything. He removed his hand from his greatsword revolver and walked to the doorway. Zinnia and Blood were still armed in case he was trying or a surprise attack, but none ever came. Brenton continued to the castle entryway.

"I'm going. I have a kingdom to protect," the lizard faunus stated before leaving to join the battle.

"It seems negotiations broke down," Blood commented.

Zinnia turned her attention to Ebony and said, "I'm sorry he didn't join you, Lady Ebony."

Expecting Ebony to shrug it off, Zinnia and Blood were surprised to hear their liege chuckle to herself, like she knew some inside joke they didn't get. "Did you hear Brenton's last words? He said 'I have a kingdom to protect,' not 'I have a king to protect.'"

The bat faunus and the Paragon glanced at each other before looking back at Ebony. They had an idea of what she was saying. "What do we do next?" Blood asked her.

It was Ebony's turn to rise from her seat. With a smirk on her face, Ebony told her retainers, "We enter the fray."

 **Setting: Corona**

"You guys get to Royal," Violet said as she had pulled out of her kukris. "I'll stall her and catch up! VRSZ Fantasia!" she ordered her team with fierce determination.

Reluctantly, Silver and Zelts went to where Royal was. Remus lingered a little longer before leaving. He was concerned about Violet for a moment, but he remembered that Violet was the best of them. She could take care of herself.

The VRSZ trio ran through the settlement to search for their adversary. They pushed past the citizens who were starting to panic from all the chaos. If this continued, the Grimm would no doubt be drawn to this place, but they weren't VRSZ's concern, Royal was.

"Silver, we'll take him head on and give you an opening. Be ready," Zelts told Silver as they ran to where they thought Royal was. Silver nodded and made sure Fenrir was in gun form.

It didn't take long for the team to find Royal. The regal conqueror dashed through Corona thanks to Libra balancing his physical abilities with Remus, granting him more speed than he's used to. He spotted them running down the town street and charged straight for them with his massive sword in hand. The man clearly wanted them dead.

Following Violet's orders, the trio used their improvised team attack, VRSZ Fantasia. Remus moved first. He used Checkpoint to teleport from being beside his friends to be slightly above Royal then delivered a strong kick to the man's face. He felt the blow, but grabbed Remus's leg and quickly slammed him into the ground in front of him with one hand while raising his sword with the other. He brought the weapon down, but Remus was able to block the strike with Delta. The two swords clashed and Remus was able to hold his own against Royal.

Libra made the two of them equal on all physical abilities. Right now, Remus and Royal were even in strength. Royal knew this, but the others didn't. As Zelts ran toward the two, he immediately noticed how Royal was weaker now than he was in their last encounter. He saw this as his moment and activated Conversion, absorbing all the dust in his clothing to reach full capacity. He reeled his fist back and slammed it against Royal's right ribcage. The force of the punch sent Royal flying into the building next to him.

"You okay?" Zelts asked Remus as he helped him up. Silver combined his guns to shift Fenrir into its sniper rifle form and he waited for Royal to walk out of the building.

Royal was still in the building, sitting on a pile of rubble in some kind of shop. He was not pleased how this battle was going. His aura level was still decent, but this battle has made him look like a wild beast with no self-control. Royal didn't mind the wild beast part, but he needed to get more control in this fight. He didn't deactivate Libra yet because he knew he could use this boost in speed one last time.

As Zelts helped Remus up, Royal swiftly dashed out of the building before Silver could shoot him and hit. The regal conqueror ran into Remus, body slamming him into the building behind him then quickly deactivated Libra to return to full strength. Zelts tried to punch him again, but Royal was able to grab his fist and hold it with ease. Twisting Zelts's arm, Royal slashed him in the chest with his blade, knocking Zelts down the street to where Silver was. The Knight of the Wind took a massive hit to his aura.

The gunslinger saw his moment and fired three shots at Royal's body, hitting his broad chest twice. Royal didn't know what that was supposed to do until he felt took note of how heavy his body started feeling. He was strong but his increased mass made it impossible for him to move or continue to stand. Royal fell to one knee and he was infuriated that he was reduced to doing so. It was humiliating, but it was exactly what Team VRSZ was aiming for.

The plan Violet concocted was for Silver to immobilize Royal with Gravity Bullet so they could attack him relentlessly until they depleted his aura and forced him to submit. Silver was the lynchpin in this strategy. The plan proved difficult, just as the others believed, and it took some time, but they got him with Gravity Bullet. Silver quickly changed his sniper rifle back into handguns. "Remus! Zelts! VRSZ Fantasia! Do it now! Kick his ass!"

Zelts got up with his eyes glowing gold from Conversion and ran toward Royal with Silver. Defenseless, Royal gritted his teeth and tried to move his heavy body to no avail. Suddenly, he felt a sharp feeling from behind. Teleporting to his backside was Remus with Delta split into its two blades. Remus began to slash at his aura relentlessly before Silver came and fired four shots at Royal's face with fire dust bullets. It left Silver feeling satisfied and Royal with ash covered irritated face. Remus jumped over Royal and kicked him in the chest, using the kick to leap away. Silver didn't let up and fired three shots of ice dust at Royal's legs. The ice covered his parts of his lower half, preventing him from moving and Zelts split Heart of Gold into wingblades. Royal's aura still didn't break so Zelts intended to deal a crushing blow with Remus.

The Blue Flicker and the Knight of the Wind were in perfect synch. Remus was going to land in front of Zelts so the knight quickly created a funnel of wind that carried Remus to Royal when he fell into the horizontal vortex. Remus rode the wind to the front, initiating their team attack, Delta Stream, while Zelts used Conversion to change the wind from green to gold, increasing its power and unleashing the improved version, Omega Drive. Remus was at the tip of the windstorm with his sword spinning violently as the mixture of Remus's blue and Zelts's gold changed the tornado's wind from a shimmering gold to sparkling jade. Royal couldn't move out of the way of the whirlwind screwdriver that was coming his way.

The best he could do was raise his sword with all his strength using his heavy arms. The increased mass from Gravity Bullet was immense, but so was Royal's strength. He was able to get it in position just in time and Remus's spinning Delta collided with it. The force of Omega Drive kept moving forward while carrying Royal with it down the road. His knee and foot skidded across the sand as his massive blade blocked the attack that continued to go on. The violent spinning of Delta created sparks between the two swords. Royal didn't budge as he was pushed across Corona by Remus. Zelts and Silver followed behind, but couldn't keep pace with the vortex. After reaching the end of the road, Remus and Royal crashed through a building, causing Omega Drive to cease. Both men tumbled out from the other side of the building with Royal being further away from Remus who laid flat on the ground, dizzy from the spinning and slightly dazed from running into a building.

Royal was still affected by Gravity, so he was forced to remain laying on the ground while Silver and Zelts finally catch up. The gunslinger walked over to make sure Remus was okay and Zelts moved in to strike Royal while he was down.

 _"We can't give him a moment to recover. We can't let up for a second. Attack. Attack! Attack instead of defending! Huh?"_ Zelts stopped charging and looked at what was coming from above.

Falling from the sky between Zelts and Royal was something the former could only describe as a small meteorite with blue flames. He stopped running forward and jumped back as the meteorite crashed in front of Royal. The flames began to expand and rise into the air, towering the buildings around them. The force of the flames rising knocked Silver and Remus back and into the ground while Zelts maintained his ground, but the heat was making him sweat. The blue flames came nowhere near Royal's body. He felt a mixture of relief and humility.

The tower of blue flames began to dissipate and Violet entered the scene to see her team stand against Royal and this fiery newcomer. With the flames subsiding, Brenton stood between Royal and VRSZ. The sand beneath his feet turned to glass from the intense heat of his fire. He glared at VRSZ sternly before aiming Oathburner at them. He held the greatsword revolver with both hands and activated his semblance.

Just as Zelts's eyes glowed shimmering gold when he activated Conversion, Brenton's eyed glowed a deep shade of red. They were intimidating and his draconic appearance only made him look more monstrous. His whole body looked like it radiated power, but it was his aura surrounding him in a more obvious way than it does for most Huntsmen. It was this appearance, faunus skin, and his semblance that gave Brenton Drake his moniker, Dragon. And it was because of his ability with Oathburner that earned him his second nickname, the King of Flames.

The Dragon aimed Oathburner at the team and used his semblance in conjunction with the weapon. The aura surrounding him moved to his greatsword revolver and it surged with power. He pulled the trigger mechanism and the flames turned blue before they were blasted out of the weapon violently, consuming the entire street as it headed straight for VRSZ.

"That's…very bad," Silver commented as he looked at the large, fiery blast coming their way.

The intense heat from the blue flames was already Violet and Zelts reacted instantly to defend themselves. Violet threw seven Enigmas with earth dust in the short path of the fire, forming rocky walls to block the flames. At the same time, Zelts brought his wingblades together and form his shield and buckled down to protect everyone. The torrent of blue flames easily blasted and destroyed the earthy barriers Violet created and Zelts knew he and his team would only be consumed and burned. He had two other gambits and he chose one of them to save everyone but didn't know if it would work. He held his shield up with one hand and stretched the other out beside it. Zelts was betting on Conversion to absorb all, if not some of the fire to reduce the damage. He felt the heat painfully on his palms even though the flames were still several feet away.

 _"This is gonna hurt,"_ Zelts thought as he closed his eyes to spar them from the flames.

Brenton and Royal watched as the fiery blast moved through the street, past where Team VRSZ was and hit an empty building where it exploded on impact. The sand in the fire's path turned to glass and the buildings on the sides were scorched. Even after the explosion went off, the insane amount of heat the flames produced didn't fade. There was no sign of VRSZ.

Brenton Drake's semblance was a simple one, but very powerful. It allowed him to manifest his aura into raw power, increasing his own strength or transferring power into weapons to amplify their capabilities based on how much aura he puts into it. For Oathburner, it increased the fire attacks. He wasn't an inventive or really creative person. Brenton knew that, so he simply called his semblance Boost.

The King of Flames lowered his sword and began to walk to the explosion he made until he felt the massive hand of Royal grabbed his shoulder. The regal conqueror yanked him back to his side. He was no longer affected by Gravity Bullet. "Where are you going?" he asked aggressively.

"To make sure none of the citizens were caught in the blast and to help those who-"

"Forget them! They are insignificant! The battle takes priority," Royal explained to Brenton.

"Those people are defeated. Now, we have to protect our people," Brenton reasoned.

"If you think VRSZ was done in by your pathetic attack, you're very mistaken," Royal berated his ally.

On top of one of the buildings near Royal and Brenton was the team, winded and sweaty. Zelts was sitting on the roof while looking at his hand. It was burned and he wasn't even touching the flames. It proved just how hot Brenton's blue fire was and it was too dangerous for Zelts to absorb with Conversion. He and the others would've been done if Remus didn't get them out of there with Checkpoint.

He saved them, but the young Cobalt's aura reserve was getting low. He took most of the hits in this fight and he could only use his semblance so many times. Remus was on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath while wiping the sweat off his forehead. Zelts looked at him and was irritated with himself. He was the shield of VRSZ, so he should be the one on the frontlines taking the hits so his teammates won't have to. He planned on fulfilling his role.

Silver sat beside Violet who was thinking about their plan was derailed so quickly. Getting out of the fight was the best thing they could've done. Brenton was an element she couldn't have predicted. She and the others knew Royal had a retainer from Clair, but they didn't think he would be much of concern like Alexandrite or Royal. She miscalculated.

 _"I screwed us…"_ she thought to herself while making sure to be quiet. It took this much just to hit Royal with _Gravity Bullet_ and they had to do it again while fighting Royal's backup.

She looked to her team and noticed they were all injured from their brief encounter with Royal. This was definitely their hardest battle yet. She also noticed how Zelts was still using Conversion at full power. He was gradually burning through his aura keeping his semblance active. Violet tossed him a few of her Enigmas so he could absorb the dust from them.

"I can't accept this time," Zelts whispered so he wouldn't alert Royal and Brenton to their position. "You need everything in your arsenal to-"

"You and Remus are our heavy-hitters," Violet countered, "We're gonna need you at full strength than me with a few more knives." Reluctantly, Zelts started absorbing the dust from six Enigmas, but the team's reprieve ended there.

The roof of the building exploded upward as Royal's sword burst through, narrowly missing Silver's arm. That sword went flying, landing somewhere far away. The team was sent upward into the air with Royal and Brenton looking at them from the street. They needed their footing. Royal leaped up to where Violet was and quickly punched her hard in the stomach. This was the first time she was hit with Royal's full might. Her aura took a big hit and she felt like she was going to vomit, but she kept it in to continue the fight. As the punch sent her plummeting to the ground, Violet threw an Enigma at Royal and the man ducked, thinking it would hit. She took note of his reaction before falling into the ground on the other side of the building with her boys. The Enigma had gravity dust and landed in the stone rubble behind Royal. The dust activated and drew in Royal and all the surrounding debris that flew from his attack. The stones and rubble piled up around him, creating a rocky prison around Royal. It prevented him from seeing where VRSZ landed. The regal conqueror was very irritated as his cage fell to the ground.

Everyone landed on the ground then quickly moved from their position to lose Royal. Running down the streets as a unit until they ended up in a more populated area. Even in the midst of chaos, the denizens of Corona were somewhat calm. How deep was their faith in Royal?

"What do we do now?" Silver asked the others after running around Corona.

As if to answer his question, Royal came busting through a building. His eyes were already on VRSZ and he picked up an enormous piece of debris with one hand. He began walking to them and they responded by wielding their weapons. Some of the citizens ran away while others stayed and cheered for their king.

"Guys…" Silver called out to the others frantically. He wanted an answer to his previous question.

"We do what did before, but better," Violet answered with her kukris in her hands. She hunched over a little because of the body blow she took earlier.

"That's not much of a plan…" Silver responded desperately.

 _"Sorry. It's all I got,"_ Violet admitted to herself. As the team leader, she didn't want to seem like she was faltering. She did think back to how Royal took caution to avoid her knife. Ordinarily, he'd let an attack hit him to prove he wasn't fazed but he was watching his aura reserve now. It was low enough for him to be concerned. Violet figured they needed to push him further.

Royal marched toward them with the larger, irregular stone in hand. Brenton followed behind and watched VRSZ make the first move. Remus shifted Delta to laser rifle form and Silver had Fenrir as dual handguns before unleashing a barrage of bolts and dust bullets at the king who defended himself by placing the stone in front of him and used it as a shield that protected him from their onslaught. He grabbed a smaller stone by his feet and chucked it at Silver and Remus who ceased firing to move out of the way of the fast-moving projectile. Royal saw this as his chance to move in close and he took it.

Dashing toward VRSZ, Royal tried to close the distance before Silver and Remus could recover but was met with two Enigmas aimed at his face. Violet seized this moment to attack to throw him off balance and she did. Zelts charged forward to ram him with his shield, but Royal saw this coming and retaliated by swinging his arm at him, hitting the shield and knocking Zelts a couple of feet away. The knight landed on his feet but was still impressed with Royal's strength. Not a lot of people can make him lose his footing. Violet was following behind Zelts as he ran and quickly sidestepped to Royal's side with her kukris. She quickly slashed with sides four times. He shifted to her and tried to land a punch, but she deftly stepped back to avoid his reach. She quickly flipped back to kick Royal in the jaw with her foot, but he grabbed Violet by the ankle and slammed her into the ground several times. After the fourth slam, Violet's aura broke and she gripped her kukri. The next slam into the ground was going to hurt badly. Fortunately, Silver intervened, firing several headshots at Royal, breaking his rhythm and increasing his frustrations. Instead of slamming Violet into the sand, Royal tossed her at Silver to get him to stop firing and it worked. Silver ceased firing from Fenrir to catch her while Remus fired again from Delta.

With his aura reaching the end and refusing to be pinned, Royal rushed back to the large stone debris he used as cover earlier. He may have enjoyed fighting and conflict, but he hated losing under any circumstances. It made him look weak and the weak have no right to reign. He stood before the stone and kicked it their way, launching it higher than he intended. The stone missed VRSZ, but it warranted enough of their concern to make Violet, Remus, and Silver duck. It crashed into the top of a building with some people underneath and it was clear the debris was going to fall and crush them.

"No!" Brenton shouted and ran toward the people, but he was nowhere near them. He wouldn't make it in time, but luckily, someone else did.

The debris and rubble from the building were about to crush the people, but a shield stood over them along with its wielder. Zelts stood up with his shield over his head, protecting the people from the rubble as it collided with Heart of Gold and fell around them. Brenton watched in shock as the enemy protected one of their citizens. He questioned why. Were they Huntsmen? Heroes? Good people? Or is it because this is their fight and they didn't want anyone else involved?

Either way, Brenton saw VRSZ in a new light and he was about to see Royal with new eyes as well. The regal conqueror grabbed another piece of large, broken stone and hurled at Zelts and the people while the Knight was still holding up some of the rubble. He was willing to kill his subjects to get what he wanted.

 _"Ebony was right,"_ Brenton Drake admitted in defeat.

The stoned hurdling toward Zelts was shot at by Silver using Gravity Bullet to make it extremely light. Violet in front of Zelts and waited for the stone to come her way. She quickly kicked it upward with one foot, handling the stone with ease, then jumped up and kicked it back at Royal with the other foot. The king punched the stone and shattered it like it was nothing, but it left him open for Silver who fired another Gravity Bullet at him. The bullet made its way to Royal, Brenton stepped in and swung Oathburner to deflect the shot. His greatsword was heavy, so he stabbed it into the sand before his arm tired and he glared at Royal, even though the man towered him.

"Is this what a king does?!" Brenton angrily shouted at Royal for the first time since being in his employ. He found it very relieving even if he knew the consequences. "Treat those who worship him like pawns?"

"You dare ask something so stupid at this time? Move aside!" Royal bellowed. VRSZ watched this unfold while Zelts finally dropped the rubble safely and the citizens left, not before fawning Royal, the man who'd let them die as casualties. It truly baffled Zelts and the others, but the scene unfolding between Royal and Brenton caught their attention the most. It gave them a chance to regroup. Silver quickly changed Fenrir into a sniper rifle.

"How can you try to kill your own people like that?! They worship you! They love you! How can you trample on that so easily?!" Brenton was finally letting out all his pent-up frustrations.

"Because I am better than them! The fact that they follow me is proof of that! They live and die for me. I will trample over all of them. I will flatten this very settlement to the ground if it served my will!" Royal yelled for all to hear. It confirmed what Brenton knew all along but hoped wasn't true. The Dragon had only one thing left to say to the regal conqueror.

"You are no king."

Royal raised his arm to backhand Brenton. The King of Flames tried to raise his weapon to defend himself but found it was still too heavy to lift. Gravity Bullet's effect still hasn't worn off. He instead used the fire dust to release a burst of flames to repel his former king, now the enemy. Royal planned to strike Brenton's head to hear that he snapped his neck with one blow. That was his plan, but it didn't come to fruition.

Coming from behind, Royal was struck in the neck by a very long, red, glowing chain. It slashed his neck as it made its way to the sand between him and Brenton. The chain retracted, ripping through Royal's aura again, and returned to the person who shot it out. Standing on a building a good distance away was the Paragon, Zinnia Underland with her whip sword glowing red for a moment before it faded. Brenton was stunned by her intervention. The members of VRSZ were shocked to find her in Corona and they knew if she was here, then her liege wasn't far behind.

Flying in like a big blur was Blood as he moved toward Royal and slugged him in the face. The punch made him jerk his head, but the man tried to retaliate by grabbing the bat faunus by his wings so he could rip them off. He moved to do just that but noticed too late that his body was moving slowly. Blood grabbed Brenton by the back of his jacket and pulled him out of the close-quarter fight. He brought the King of Flames over to Ebony, who was walking toward the area at her own pace. She looked at the lizard faunus and smiled.

"You were quite brave," she commented on his stand against Royal. She then looked over at VRSZ and waved. "Hey, boys! Nice to see you all again."

Royal's body was still pretty sluggish and Zinnia used that time to jump from building to building to reach the others. It gave her time to regroup and it gave Ebony time to speak to Violet, who wasn't happy about seeing her.

"Why are _you_ here?" she growled at Ebony as gripped one of her kukris tightly.

"The same reason as you," Ebony said fondly. "The kingdom wants Royal to answer for his crimes against Virago. You guys weren't the only ones upset with his actions."

"And I'm supposed to believe that? For all I know, you could be scheming to get something else out of this," Violet accused her.

 _"Hmph. Not inaccurate,"_ Ebony thought to herself with a laugh.

Ebony, not wanting to waste any more time, activated Charm to affect Violet and the other members. "Now isn't the time to bicker, Violet. It is the classic time for enemies to join together to face a common enemy. All of us can take Royal down with our combined might, no?"

She was right. They all thought that thanks to Charm. It took almost everything they had to get Royal this far and working with Ebony's group would hasten their efforts. Team VRSZ didn't care how they defeated Royal. He just needed to go down.

The charming Vantablack glanced at Brenton and grinned. "You want to help keep the people safe, right? Defeat him and show them what true strength is." The King of Flames looked into her eyes before glaring at Royal who finally had full control of his body.

"VRSZ Fantasia!" Violet shouted to her team and they all advanced on Royal.

"Let's go!" Ebony told her group with Brenton following beside her.

Royal, no longer slowed down by Paralysis, looked around to see eight combatants coming toward him. He moved to reach for Oathburner but was slashed in the gut by a fast-moving Remus with Delta as split swords. Blood flew in when Remus moved to strike again and two struck Royal at the same time. Remus slashed him upward along his arms and Blood landed a powerful uppercut to his stomach. He used Paralysis with that punch to slow Royal down. Even with his sluggish body, Royal chose to fight back, giving the others the green light to show no mercy.

Remus combined Delta back to sword form then changed it again into a laser rifle. He backed away from Royal with Blood and tossed Delta to Zelts who had Heart of Gold strapped to his back. Blood grabbed Oathburner and flew above Brenton to drop it into his hands. He still had the energy from Conversion running through his body then transferred some of it into Delta. He fired a powerful shot at Royal that looked reminiscent to Remus's old railguns. The bolt of energy hit Royal in the chest and launched him in the air where Silver fired a Gravity Bullet at him with his sniper rifle to make Royal lighter than air.

Zinnia aimed wrist gun at a floating Royal and fired several bolts of lightning dust, shocking the man as he was helplessly being assaulted. His aura was teetering on the edge. Violet grabbed Silver by the hand and he tossed her in the air with Gravity. As she was soaring toward Royal, she activated the wind dust in her kukris then jabbed him in the stomach with them. It was payback for punching her in the stomach. The release of the compressed wind sent Royal plummeting to the ground where Ebony and Brenton were. He aimed Oathburner at him and Ebony had Trois Reines's scabbard as a rifle aimed at the same target. Ebony fired first, shooting Royal in the back, then Brenton released a short-ranged burst of flames from the gun chamber which sent Royal flying back into the air. The fiery shot from Oathburner left some pretty bad burn marks on Royal's back. His aura was finally penetrated. He was no longer protected.

Now on the ground, Violet pulled out her Enigma with a cable attached to it and tossed it at Royal. It wrapped around his left leg. Zinnia stood by her cousin's side then did the same thing with her whip blade, wrapping it around the same leg. The Violent Flower and the Paragon pulled with all their might to twirl Royal around once before sending him crashing into a nearby building, breaking through the wall and everyone heard the sounds of crashing and glass breaking.

Their battle was not private to them. All the citizens that remained to watch the fight looked in disbelief at their king be overwhelmed. The crowd of people continued to gather.

"Are we finally done?" Silver asked exhausted.

The sound of more miscellaneous items falling from the building made Silver wonder until he and the others noticed Royal emerge from the building. The citizens began to cheer, viewing their majesty as an undefeatable superhuman, but that high was short-lived. Royal was limping as he walked. He was bleeding from various areas short of breath, bruised, and burned. Royal did not look like the strong, invincible man he claimed he was anymore.

"It's over," Zelts declared so everyone could cease fighting.

"This is not over," Royal grunted through pained breaths. He limped his way out of the building to stand against its wall to help him stay on his two feet. "I will not submit. I will never yield to any of you. Not to this group of mongrels, the witch, and her retinue, or to you, _traitor_ ," Royal spat that last one out with all the hatred he could muster.

Brenton Drake began to slowly approach his former leader, moving past Ebony and Violet's team while holding Oathburner. He planned to deliver the finishing blow to end Royal's reign. The regal conqueror made it clear he didn't plan to surrender, so he left them with no other choice. The one who dealt the finishing blow would end Royal's era. Brenton took a deep breath so he could be the one. The citizens watched in fear, but he told himself it would pass. He planned to make their lives better.

"GAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

A blade was swung and it struck Royal, but it wasn't Oathburner. The finishing blow came from Royal's backside. The large man hailed as the king of Corona, fell to the ground as the life in his eyes faded away. As Royal fell, the person who dealt the final blow came in to view for everyone to see. Standing above Royal's dead body was Alexandrite. Her appearance was disorderly. She was clearly injured but seemed to have enough strength to keep fighting. Violet would never say it aloud, but she was impressed Alexandrite was still conscious after that explosion. She figured the Bedazzled Behemoth found a better method to protect herself from those type of attacks after her encounter with Cerise.

The area was silent save for the deep breathing of Alexandrite. Royal's blood stained her halberd. No one said a thing because no one knew what to say. Royal was defeated. Team VRSZ's objective was complete, but none of them felt like they won. Just like everyone else, no one had any idea what Alexandrite killing Royal could mean. It was the calm before the storm. Even Ebony was a little surprised with Alexandrite. She waited to see what she would do next.

"He was weak," Alexandrite stated as she looked at Royal's corpse. "Too weak to rule anymore. He couldn't even see the traitor standing by his side." She glared at Brenton while smirking at the same time.

"You're right, Alexandrite," Ebony agreed, speaking loudly for everyone, specifically the citizens, to hear her. "Royal was not the infallible king he declared himself and Corona deserves better. Someone capable of ruling with a kind heart and firm hand. Someone like Brenton Drake. He should be the one to take Royal's place."

Brenton was surprised Ebony vouched for him. Was she aware of his plan this whole time? The lizard faunus looked at the citizens after she spoke and was saddened to see upset faces. He knew why they looked at him like that.

"And who would welcome a traitor like him as their king?" Alexandrite asked Ebony.

"Yeah! He helped take down Royal with those outsiders!" one of the people shouted and it started a chain reaction of people shouting, booing, and hissing at Brenton, VRSZ and Ebony's group.

The situation was getting tense and VRSZ no longer had a stake in this. They didn't want to be in Corona anymore and Corona clearly didn't want them here either. It was time for them to leave. Remus took hold of Violet, Silver, and Zelts, and used Checkpoint one final time. It consumed the last of his aura to teleport the team to where the hovercar was. They drove Fantasia away from the disorganized, unstable settlement toward home.

Traitor. Backstabber. Turncoat. These were only a few of the words the citizens used to describe the King of Flames and these were only the nice names. Their words got more colorful and hurtful as they continued and Brenton took it all with Ebony and her group watching.

"He should never be our king! Alexandrite is the one!" one of the citizens shouted.

"Yeah! She stood by Royal's side as his queen and struck him down to put him out of his misery. She's the only one worthy of leading us!" another citizen said and a lot of people were agreeing. However, not everyone agreed with the idea of Alexandrite being their new ruler. It wasn't because they saw her as a bad fit, but because no one could replace Royal in their eyes. To them, it was the end of an era.

Alexandrite raised her halberd to the sky and said, "I accept! I've grown quite fond of this place. Be a shame to abandon it."

Ebony was quietly surprised by the events unfolding. Royal had warped the perception of all these people so much that strength was the only thing they'll recognize. They even validated Alexandrite killing their king.

 _"Lost cause,"_

"First things first, I need to tend to my wounds. Then I'll get to the real ruling. There are going to be a lot of changes around her," she stated and turned to walk to her castle. The citizens flocked to her to assist their new, wounded leader. She turned to Ebony and Brenton before leaving and said, "If either of you shows your face in Corona again, I'll kill you."

It was clear Corona was no longer a place for either Ebony or Brenton and it hurt the lizard faunus especially. Everything he did was to keep the people safe, but now they reject his protection and curse his name. He lost his people and his home. Brenton had nowhere to go.

"Now what?" he said to himself.

"You can come with me," Ebony answered with Zinnia and Blood by her side. He looked to her slightly stunned then watched her extend her hand out for him to take. "I'll be honest with you, Brenton. Corona was doomed to fall. It's a city of self-indulgence and twisted ideals. There was only one reason I had an interest in this place after my first visit and it wasn't Royal. It was you, a person whose morality and ideals didn't succumb to Royal's will. Someone like you is someone I want by my side."

Brenton continued to look at her in disbelief. He was the reason Ebony kept her eye on Corona. It explained why she asked for his scroll number and why all their conversations were slightly more focused on himself than anything related to Corona or Royal. Even if it meant usurping Royal and giving him the throne, Ebony has been working to get Brenton on her side.

"You… don't want to come with me?" she asked when he didn't respond. Brenton snapped out of his mental deduction when she spoke.

"Uh, no. That's not… It's just… um…"

"I know a lot happened today and it's only the afternoon. If you need some time to think about my offer, you have it, but let me at least escort you out of this place. I doubt you'll find a helping hand here," Ebony offered, looking around at the citizens giving them the stink eye. She was right. No one was going to offer Brenton any assistance.

"Sure," Brenton accepted her offer and she smiled.

"Ash, fly ahead and start the airship and get a spare room ready, please?" Ebony asked while placing her hand on Blood's cheek.

"All right," he replied and flew into the sky and in the direction, the airship was stationed.

Ebony, Zinnia, and Brenton walked to the airship. Zinnia kept her eyes on the people who were glare at their group. If some sort of riot started, she'd be first to act. As she played bodyguard, Ebony and Brenton talked amongst themselves. It was no different from their talks on their scrolls, but Ebony was more curious about her friend's future.

"So, what are you going to do next?" she asked Brenton was hesitant to answer.

"I don't know. I thought I could take over this place and help everyone live better lives, but that dream has pretty much died."

"What's stopping you from confronting Alexandrite and taking control?"

"That's the problem. I opposed Royal because he took control and forced his will on others while forsaking their desires. Fighting Alexandrite so rule my way would be doing the same thing, in my eyes at least. Plus, it would only add to the whole 'traitor' thing," he tried to laugh it off like it was a joke, but he couldn't. It was all true.

"Then be a part of my team. I'm trying to make things better in Remnant for everyone. With someone like you by my side, we can make sure another Royal doesn't show up again."

The offer was right there in front of him and he acknowledged what Ebony just said. Corona was the twisted creation of someone like Royal being allowed to get this far. If he could prevent anything similar to this from happening again…

"Ebony Vantablack," Brenton said as he got down on one knee and lowered his head, "I humbly accept your offer. I will gladly join your cause. My blade is yours."

The situation drew a lot of attention. Even Zinnia saw this and thought it was rather humbling for Brenton but also pretty embarrassing for him and Ebony. The charming Vantablack, ever a lady of etiquette and princely nature, pulled out Trois Reines in sword form and gently place the blade on Brenton's shoulders, playing the role of anointing her knight.

"Rise, Sir Brenton Drake, King of Flames. You are one of my own now. My first order is for you to get acquainted with Zinnia and Ash. They are now your teammates and friends. We're a friendly bunch."

That's what Ebony said to Brenton, but her inner monologue was a bit different. _"Yes! I got another hot guy!"_

The trio made it back to the airship and was flying back to the kingdom to report what happened. Ebony watched from the deck how her three retainers were conversing among themselves with a smile on her face. She sat in a chair and looked at the sky. Ash Blood, Zinnia Underland, and Brenton Drake. She had three strong individuals by her side.

Ebony's strategy ended with the results she anticipated. The rogue piece, Royal, was permanently knocked off the board and she gained Brenton as her new champion.

 _"Champion? I like the sound of that. Clair has her Enforcers, so I'll call mine my Champions from now on. Retainer sounds far too domestic for people of their abilities,"_

The long-term plan Ebony had crafted took its first step to realization.

 **Setting: Desert**

Returning to Nexus was Team VRSZ. After six hours of driving, the team was very close to reaching home. The sun fell to low as the sky changed from blue to orange. The long ride back home gave the team time to recover their aura which helped heal some of their wounds. It was a hard-fought battle but the bitter end left a bad taste in the team's mouth.

The person driving the Fantasia was Violet with Remus and Silver in the back and Zelts by her side.

"Today was… eventful," Zelts commented to lighten the mood.

"Yeah. Royal was crazy strong," Remus said as he looked out to the desert. "But he went down…"

"You don't sound too happy about it," Zelts took note. "Didn't want to kill him?"

"It's not that. It's just…er…"

"Alexandrite took our mark," Silver remarked, clearly annoyed with the topic. "After everything we did to take him down-"

"She swoops in and takes the credit," Violet finished for him. She understood his frustrations. It was annoying when someone comes in and finishes what you started. It was a pride thing.

"Yeah! Exactly!"

"At least we're going to get paid," Violet brought up. "I'm sure Saffron will be happy to hear Royal's dead."

"And Clair's gonna have a big dinner party for us!" Remus chimed in. "Tonight's gonna be great!"

The hovercar stopped abruptly. Violet slammed down on the brakes. Silver and Remus smacked into the front seats and Zelts braced his hands on the dashboard.

"What the hell, Vi?" Silver asked as he got up to look at her. She and Zelts were staring at what was in front of them. Silver glanced over and his face turned pale. Remus stood up in the Fantasia and shared the same expression.

In front of VRSZ was their home, Nexus, but the settlement was under siege. Some of the buildings were on fire and smoke filled the sky. Many of the town's guards were fighting bandits and thieves everywhere. The screams of the citizens could be heard with the sound of gunfire and metal clashing. It was like the destruction of Fortuna all over again.

"What happened?" Violet asked aloud.

* * *

 **Drake's semblance is called Boost. It's like an altered version of Zelts's Conversion. While Zelts's semblance makes him a battery that can absorb, store, and transfer energy through his aura, Drake's semblance makes him a generator that creates energy using his aura. Both semblances can increase the physical abilities of the user with slight differences. Boost can activate as long as Drake has the aura to burn it while Conversion needs an outside source to activate it.**

 **Zinnia displayed her semblance for a brief moment in the chapter. She calls it Armaments. Zinnia semblance allows her to cloak her weapons in her aura to increase their power or shape the aura to extend the weapon's reach. With her whip sword and Armaments, the length of her weapon is tremendous. The trick of Armaments is that Zinnia can reabsorb the aura on the weapon back into herself. If the aura is broken on the weapon, it depletes her aura reserves.**

 **There three types of adversaries in VRSZ: antagonists, villains, and monsters. Antagonists are people like Ebony who oppose, more morally than directly, the main characters but aren't against them outright. They don't deliberately target the main characters, but actions do affect their story, creating obstacles and conflicts that must be overcome. Villains are people who oppose the main characters through conflict. They have the intent to cause evil and serve as obstacles for the characters. Grayson and Royal fit this category, but represent different subcategories. Grayson is the type of villain you love to hate. Royal is a villain that when he appears, you know the characters are going to lose something or someone's going to die. Monsters are entities like the Grimm that are enemies that must be eliminated.**


	18. Home-front

**Setting: City of Thieves**

Grayson and his retinue stood in front of the ruined building that was Concordia with a crowd of rogues, bandits, and crooks before them. It was finally time for him to seek the revenge he greatly desired. He learned of VRSZ's location and now assembled the scoundrels who occupied this destroyed city. They were going to be the instruments of his vengeance. He was planned on recreating what happened in Fortuna.

"Listen up!" Grayson called out to all the thugs. "Have I got a deal for all of you! I'm sure some of you have heard of the Freelancers. They've been pretty well-known back in the day, but it's also well-known that the Ravagers ran them out of their home. The very place you're all standing in. Recently, I stumbled upon the discovery that the Freelancers are still around, laying low in that new place called Nexus and knowing they're still breathing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. So, I'd like to give everyone here the chance to work in my stead. Anyone who goes to Nexus and kills the Freelancers will get a huge payment from me. There are only four of them, so it's slim pickings for you all. Who's in?"

All the thugs cheered with vigor. The prospect of earning some Lien was the sole reason they were this enthusiastic about hunting Team VRSZ. All of them were aware of the amassed fortune Grayson had in his possession from taking over the City of Thieves and collecting the riches scattered about. Some of them even wanted something from the treasure trove of weapons he had stored in Concordia. They were all motivated to tear Nexus apart to find the members of VRSZ and drag them back to Grayson.

"Get going!" Grayson told all of them and they moved in droves, choosing to attack Nexus now so they could get the reward before their rivals.

Grayson turned to Vago. "You're going with them to make sure they get the right bastards. It'd be a waste if they came back with some random people."

"You got it. I know what they all look like," Vago responded before walking away.

"Hey," Grayson called out to Vago who stopped and turned when he heard his name.

"You're a Ravager now. This is your time to shine and finally make a name for yourself."

Oddly, the Master of Shadows felt inspired. He stood straighter and walked away with a kick in his step. Shiranui took note of this and didn't know if his leader did it because he believed in Vago or just knew how to manipulate him. The fox faunus assumed it was the latter. "That was nice of you," he said to Grayson.

"Vago's been a nobody all his life. He wants to be something but doesn't know exactly what he wants to be which led him to us. He thinks joining with Vacuo's best mercenary group will make him someone special."

"And you're adding fuel to that fire," Shiranui stated coldly.

"You disapprove?"

"No. I hate that racist shisno," Shiranui spat and Grayson laughed.

"Let's hope he brings us results."

 **Setting: Outskirts of Nexus**

After seeing VRSZ off to fight Royal, Clair de Lune Vantablack and her Enforcers traveled just outside of Nexus for special training: the discovery of Azura's semblance. The lady being trained wasn't enthusiastic about unlocking her semblance, but Clair insisted with Bianca and Ghost backing her, giving Azura little choice.

 _"It's my body. I can do whatever the hell I want with it,"_ Azura thought to herself but refused to say it out loud. After a few weeks, she learned when Clair decided to do something, she'd make it happen. Azura couldn't defeat her in sheer determination.

More than three hours passed as the training took place just outside of Nexus to protect it from being caught in whatever crossfire could occur. There was no way of telling what a person's semblance could be or how it would manifest. It depended on the individual. There was one trigger that was common for many Huntsmen and it was stressful situations. In order to bring about her semblance, Azura was forced to fight Clair, Bianca, and Ghost at the same time. She would've liked these odds, but the Lady of Nexus forbade her from using her weapon and dust tattoos. It put the Sky-Blue Warrior at a disadvantage she didn't like.

Azura backed away as Ghost leaped to her position with Purgatory and discharged lightning from the gauntlet, the sandy floor was burnt from the lightning. He, of all people, seemed excited for this type of training, something Azura expected was because this was payback for all those times, she enjoyed beating during their regular training sessions. Azura moved in immediately after he attacked and tried to kick him in the side and Ghost reeled his arm back to punch her. They were both about to attack. Who would hit who first? The first to strike was Azura. Her kick was faster, but it didn't land. Instead of hitting Ghost in the ribs, her kick and leg phased through his abdomen. She was getting ready to pivot and kick with the other foot. Ghost was still moving in to strike and landed his punch, hitting her in the face and knocking her back.

 _"Annoying,"_ Azura thought, irritated at Ghost's flexibility with Spectre. There was no rule saying they couldn't use their semblance against her. The more of a pinch she was in, the better.

As she got up or tried to, Azura noticed someone coming from above. She rolled out of the sand as the person landed in her previous spot. Now, Azura was upset she got sand in her hair but didn't let it distract her from Clair who was next to fight her. With her pen sword, Clair repeatedly jabbed at Azura who nimbly dodged each thrust while backing away. Clair kept pressing her forward and Azura felt her backside being slashed. Behind her was Bianca, attacking Azura in her blindside with her bayonets.

"There's an opening!" Clair said in a sing-song voice, activated Songstress. The sound of her voice caused Azura to feel a pounding headache. Clair's mastery of Songstress allowed her to target certain individuals, keeping her friends safe from her semblance's various effects. Right now, she was using Songstress to give Azura a mild headache.

Just as Clair said, there was an opening. She slashed Azura's aura with an upward slash while she was stunned then followed with a kick to push her away. The female Cobalt was knocked to Bianca who kicked her again to push her into a cloud of Stardust particles she created in advance. Azura was in the thick of the shining fragments that danced around her and obscured her vision while Ghost and Bianca moved in to strike in synch.

 _"Shit… Bullshit… This. Is. Bullshit!"_ Azura thought, completely irritated with this one-sided fight. Even if it was training, Azura recognized the real strength of Clair's retinue. Being baited by Ghost's Spectre, mentally assaulted by Clair's Songstress, and being partially blinded by Bianca's Stardust. The pressure mixed with being at such a vast disadvantage enraged the female Cobalt.

"Enough!" Azura shouted as Ghost and Bianca moved in to attack from different sides. The half-siblings noticed Azura's body faintly glow light blue in color. They recognized it as her aura and when they got close, the aura burst out like a pulse, pushing them and the Stardust particles away from her position.

"Whoa," Ghost said, surprised by the sudden reveal of her semblance. He didn't expect her to unlock it this quickly. He chalked it up to Azura being an extremely adept fighter.

"That's an interesting one," Bianca complimented while trying to figure out what Azura's semblance was. She dispersed her Stardust particles to get a clear view of her friend's ability.

The aura around Azura faded as quickly as it came. The activation of her semblance was fleeting, but it finally activated. The Sky-Blue Warrior didn't seem to notice because her angry reaction made her close her eyes. Clair quietly observed the events unfold for her Enforcers while also thinking about what to make for dinner. It would celebrate VRSZ's victory over Royal as well as Azura unlocking her semblance.

"Azura, did you know what you just did? You activated it!" Bianca exclaimed in excitement.

"You unlocked your semblance. And at such speed…" Ghost grumbled that last part. He enjoyed being the one to beat up Azura during training. He was never going to get that chance again.

"Hmm…" Azura was surprised she accomplished her goal so quickly and a little disappointed she didn't see it. She raised her palm to look at it and wondered how she did it. Everyone else could do it on command. Does that mean she could now that she unlocked it? Does she just have to think about it? Nothing happened.

"You can't force it like your dust tattoos," Clair told her as she approached. "A semblance comes from your aura, it's a part of yourself. Just go with the flow and it'll activate. Don't think, feel."

Taking a deep breath, Azura accessed her aura and she could feel the power within. It was a small flicker, but she felt it. Her aura pulsed out of her hand. The burst was a smaller degree, but Azura was able to see it. And though it was small, she was amazed. _"This is my power?"_

"You released from all over your body too. Maybe you can use it in different ways," Bianca suggested.

Azura thought about it and looked to her legs then at Ghost who was a distance away. She got down in a running position then activated her semblance at the base of her feet. The aura pulse propelled her forward, making her move in a quick burst of speed and picking up a large amount of sand. She zipped past Ghost who was stunned by the fast movement as she and the wind blew past him. Azura really liked her new ability.

"A sudden burst of aura around the body or any part of the body," Bianca observed.

"It's like a pulse of aura repelling everything around you," Clair explained further.

"Aura Pulse… I like the sound of-" Azura was deciding on the name of her semblance until everyone heard the sound of gunshots. It was coming from Nexus. "Huh?"

"The hell?" Ghost didn't know what was going on just like the rest of his team.

They didn't waste any more time. If Clair and her Enforcers wanted to know what was going on, they needed to go to their home and find out for themselves.

 **Setting: Nexus**

People were screaming and running amok in the unfinished settlement. They were running away from the spreading chaos and that chaos arrived in the form of bandits, lowlifes, bounty hunters, and scoundrels. All of them were here to find the members of VRSZ and claim the large reward Grayson promised them. They planned to rip this place apart to find them and kill anyone that got in their way.

Fortunately, Nexus wasn't a defenseless place. Shortly after all the rouges caused some damage, the guards came to defend the citizens and repel the intruders, however, their numbers weren't able to match the enemy. Due to the destruction of Virago done by Royal, Saffron called back her female warriors to help assist in defending their home from potential bandits. All that was left were the task force members of Clair's original employ in Fortuna and the new ones she hired in Nexus.

They were at a disadvantage. The guards would only be able to fend them for a short time.

The first area to be struck was the eastern district where the Bazaar and trading borough is located. Many traders and shop owners ran away and left their wares, believing the rogues were there for their wares. Many of the scoundrels kept their eyes on the prize and searched for VRSZ, although there were those who couldn't rise above their thieving tendencies and helped themselves to some free merchandise.

The rogues barged into every building and ransacked the place to search for Violet, Remus, Silver, and Zelts, but their search will be fruitless. VRSZ was in Corona to confront Royal.

A large group of guards was armed with guns. They moved as a unit to two locations; the Nexus council building where the council members were and Onyx Workshop where Onyx and C.P. presided. Both locations were under the protection of ten guards. However, Chartreuse and Solis demanded they go outside and defend this place, but the guards made sure to keep them out of trouble. Carmine was a researcher and had little fighting experience compared to her Virago sisters, and Percy couldn't fight at all. He was a businessman. His forte was conversation and delegation. All of four of them were concerned about Nexus and its people, especially Clair de Lune Vantablack.

Onyx and C.P. were housed in their home with the guards protecting them from outside the workshop. The invaders didn't make it to where they were, but neither was going outside to check. Onyx was in the area of his workshop where he had weapons stored. C.P. was with his younger faunus cousin, but he made himself a fort out of the weapons. It was silly, but Onyx could admit it was a dangerously cool-looking base. The two Vantablacks were kept safe from the insanity outside.

Three guards were shooting at the multitude of bandits that were reaching the center of Nexus. Firing in a tight formation, they were able to kill eight that didn't see their attack coming, but the rest that followed boarded nearby buildings and began firing from their own weapons. With an array of gunfire and laser beams, the three guards to shelter inside a building of their own, but they were pinned down and outnumbered. More scoundrels showed and bunkered down in more buildings.

"Is anyone nearby?! We need suppressing fire!" one of the guards called out on his radio. His two allies fired back and one of them was shot in the shoulder. He fell backward and clenched his wound, leaving only one of them to shoot back at the outlaws while the third called for backup.

"We're not gonna last much longer! Where's everyone else?! The guard said after he stopped firing and took cover. His comrade didn't know. It seemed they were just waiting for the inevitable.

"Gah!" someone screamed out. "Agh! Ugh!"

The sounds of people being attacked were around the three pinned guards followed by silence in the area. No bullets or projectiles were flying. One of the guards took a chance and peeked his head out of a window to see what was going on.

Walking out of the building the bandits occupied was Ghost, dragging two of them by their feet and throwing them into the sandy road. He didn't have a scratch or even a speck of dirt on his clothing. He defeated them without being hit once.

The second house was being attacked by Bianca who faced seven bandits trying to shoot at her. None of them managed to land a hit as she danced around their gunfire. Bianca dodged four bullets, six laser beams then fired seven shots from her Archangels. After the seventh shot, Bianca remained still and the enemy stopped firing. She killed all seven of them. One shot for each bandit. She soundly defeated them all.

"Looks like we got our backup…" one of the guards said aloud, impressed with the half-siblings' combat prowess. He went over to his wounded friend then felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Clair and Azura. She smiled at her subordinates as Azura helped the wounded one to his feet. "Lady Clair…"

"You three withdraw and regroup. Nexus needs you," Clair told them warmly.

"Yes, Lady Clair," the two guards responded and helped their wounded friend out of the building.

"Where do we start?" Azura asked her as Ghost and Bianca came their way to hear the orders.

"We'll split into teams of two and eliminate the enemy in our home. Ghost and Bianca, Azura and I. Make sure the enemy can't overrun us. Understood?"

"Yes," they all responded before dispersing. Bianca and Ghost headed to the eastern district where the fighting was thickest while Clair and Azura left for the western district. The Lady of Nexus wanted to make sure her cousins were safe.

In the northern district, where the fighting was the least, Vago strolled around, searching for the members of VRSZ. The other outlaws served no other purpose than to distract and draw out VRSZ so the Master of Shadows could strike them down. This would be the mission where he'd prove himself to Grayson and make a name for himself.

 **Setting: Onyx Workshop**

The two Vantablack cousins stayed within their home. C.P. was nervous about the situation. Onyx was as well and it only made it worse when a few more of the guards inside marched outside the building. The sound of a battle could be heard outside, making C.P. freak out even more. "What the hell is going on out there?"

"I don't know," was all Onyx could say. He had no idea how safe they were, but the faunus boy was sure they could defend themselves somewhat. He also looked at another possible form of defense in the corner of his lab. Hanging in the corner of the room was an unfinished Atlesian droid that C.P. bought months ago and Onyx was fixing and improving. It couldn't do anything to protect them, but maybe he could have it stand up like a scarecrow to scare the intruders away.

Outside the workshop, all ten guards were engaged in combat against fifteen rogues. The majority of the guard group were outfitted for close-combat, using swords and knives with mid-range firearms built into them. Despite being outnumbered, they were evenly matched with the enemy. What they lacked in numbers they made up using teamwork and strategy. It didn't take long for a third-party to enter and tip the scales.

Lightning darted across the road and struck six of the bandits, shocking them mercilessly and surprising all the combatants in the area. The sound of singing could also be heard and everyone looked at the source of the melody; Clair de Lune Vantablack. By her side was Azura with her arms charged with lightning dust. As Clair sang while activating Songstress, the rogues wondered what she was doing. They found it strange she chose to sing in the middle of all this anarchy, but the guards and Azura felt different.

Songstress served to affect the minds of those Clair chooses and the ones she chose to affect were her allies. It gave them an adrenaline high, boosting their vigor and morale. Azura and all the guards felt like they could defeat an entire army single-handedly.

In an instant, Azura activated Pulse at the bottom of her feet to propel herself toward the enemy and quickly close the distance. Two of the rogues saw her coming and aimed their guns at her, but the guards intervened, striking them and four more of their allies down when they focused solely on Azura. With blades in hand, the guards cut down four enemies as Azura entered the battle with her elemental staff.

While the guards took care of six enemies, Azura was surrounded by the remaining nine. All of them charged at her at once, using their numbers to overwhelm and overpower her. The first one swung an ax at her and Azura blocked it with her staff. The second came with a dagger and she cloaked her left arm in ice to block the small blade from hitting her neck. The rest of the rogues came and Azura decided to use her newly acquired semblance.

With the flicker of her sky-blue aura surrounding her body, Azura unleashed Aura Pulse sending out a shockwave of aura around her, repelling every single enemy. All of the rogues fell backward onto the sand and Azura quickly slammed her hand onto the ground. Borrowing a technique from Ghost's playbook, she discharges lightning from her dust tattoos and shocked all the enemies until they were charred and unconscious. The Sky-Blue Warrior felt a little wobbly on her legs, realizing her aura was depleted significantly more than it usually does in combat.

 _"Semblances really do drain aura with each use. Gotta be careful,"_ she instructed herself mentally.

She finished her fight a few seconds before the guards finished theirs and both parties were still itching to keep going, a side effect of Clair's Songstress.

Training with Violet over the past few weeks have proven Clair was a capable fighter, but not a frontline type. She worked best in the back, supporting her allies and weaken foes. The Lady of Nexus ceased singing so her semblance would stop affecting her allies. She'd prefer to give others a heads up when she gives them a boon with Songstress, but she really needed to see if Onyx and C.P. were okay.

She barged into the workshop and heard a slightly high-pitched scream _. "That's C.P., so he's all right. And Onyx should be with him,"_ she thought as she ventured to the young faunus's laboratory. Clair walked in and found a tall, large, unfinished droid in front of the doorway. "What the?" she didn't know what to make of the machination in front of her.

The large droid was suddenly knocked to the side by C.P. who ran toward Clair when he heard her voice. Before she could say anything, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Oh, Clair! It's you!"

She was struggling to catch her breath against his embrace, but Clair was glad to see C.P. and Onyx were unharmed. "Ugh… G-good to see you're okay."

Onyx was relieved to see it was Clair that entered the room. He let go of a sigh that he didn't know he was holding in. He was scared and he didn't even know it.

"I came to make sure you guys were okay, but I need to go out there and drive these people out of our home. Stay here. The guards will protect you guys," Clair told her cousins.

Azura watched this from outside the room and C.P. noticed her. "Can Azura stay with us? I'd feel much better with her backside covering me." Azura wanted to punch him in-between his eyes for his phrasing but now was not the time.

"She's coming with me. We've gained some control of this area, so there'll be fewer bandits running around. The guards are more than enough to keep you safe," Clair answered, fully aware of the way C.P. spoke about her. Even in the middle of a crisis, Copper Periwinkle Vantablack could find some time to hit on women. With that, the two women left, leaving Onyx to pick up the inactive droid.

"Can you help with your robot? It's heavy," he said to his cousin, straining to lift the robot by himself. C.P. swoops down to help pick up the Atlesian droid.

 **Setting: Eastern District**

Ghost ran straight through the rogues causing havoc in the eastern district where the chaos is the thickest. The enemy was rummaging through a building while others were fighting against the guards and they were winning. They grossly outnumbered them and were about to overrun them until the half-siblings showed up. Ghost using Spectre to run and bypass all the guards was enough of a distraction for Bianca to activate Stardust.

The sparkling particles scattered from her hair and she moved it to the air where the enemy was. Ghost was passing through the last one until he was hit by a random laser beam charged with lightning dust. Electricity was the only thing that could harm him while he was intangible and the unsuspected hit made Ghost tumble to the ground, but he was just out of the range of Stardust.

The dancing particles surrounded all the invaders who were confused about what was going on. Ghost used Spectre again to phase through the sand and Bianca snapped her fingers while wearing the glove. The particles began to swirl and freeze, creating a massive blizzard in the area, freezing all the enemies and making them fall over. The buildings and ground around them were also covered in frost and ice. Bianca figured the ice dust would do the less damage to Nexus and the desert's natural heat would melt everything. Bianca quickly subdued the enemy in the eastern district.

Ghost phased through the ground in front of her. He was exhausted with all the fighting they had to do. This ordeal has been going on for three hours with no sign of letting up. "Is this ever going to end?" he complained to his sister.

"Don't know," she answered. "It would help if we knew what this was about."

Seeing this as the answer to ending this invasion, Ghost decided to search for one of the rogues which weren't hard given the situation. He found one hiding in a building nearby and he used Spectre to phase down into the ground and again in the space in front of the surviving bandit. Before the rogue woman could yelp, Ghost grabbed her by her throat with Purgatory and threw her through the building wall. She was groaning in pain while Ghost, Bianca, and several guards surrounded her.

"You're going to answer some questions for us. It's pretty obvious why you should refuse to talk to us," Bianca told the rogue who was frazzled and worried with enemies all around her.

Ghost knelt down and asked his first question, "Why are you people here?"

 **Setting: Southern District**

Hours passed and Nexus was still under siege. The settlement that was still in the middle of development and this massive attack did significant damage. The outer area of each district was still under construction, but the rampage of the enemy set Nexus back a great deal. Months of work was reduced to rubble and the completed interior wasn't doing any better. The entire settlement was a disaster and the rogues still teeming within only made it worse.

"This is going to ruin us," Clair complained after cutting down a scoundrel with her pen-sword. The weapon had blood splattered on it and Clair was slightly disturbed by it. Killing someone was not an easy thing for her to do. She thought back to how much she wanted to kill Grayson. She still wanted to do it, but the act wouldn't come as easily as she thought.

"We'll make them pay for all of this," Azura reassured her liege as she stepped on the neck of another enemy. Clair got a call on her scroll and saw the person calling her was Bianca. She figured it had o be important enough for her to call during this invasion. Clair answered her scroll while Azura and a few nearby guards took care of any nearby threats.

"Yes?" she answered.

"We have some bad news about this whole thing. Turns out this was a planned attack. All these invaders came to search for VRSZ."

"Who would-" Clair was about to ask but connected the dots in a moment.

"Exactly," Bianca responded.

"Grayson," Clair growled in hatred. This was all his doing.

"What should we-"

"Eliminate every intruder. No mercy," Clair responded immediately then ended the call. "I'm not letting you do this again. I will not let Nexus suffer the same fate as Fortuna!"

"Azura, no holding back! Wipe them out!"

The Sky-Blue Warrior had a wicked smirk on her face as her dust tattoos began to burn with fire dust. Flames emerged from her arms as she was prepared to go all out. Clair was ready to join her until she heard the engine of a vehicle behind her. She turned to see who arrived.

 **Setting: Team VRSZ Duplex**

Vago skulked into the home of VRSZ and Clair, not knowing he was in their home. He walked around the room, searching for some verification this was their home. He investigated a lot of buildings while the violence spread throughout Nexus. He wanted to make sure he found VRSZ first.

There weren't any photos around the living room or kitchen, so he wasn't sure if this was the right place. Vago walked into the room on the right side of the first floor and didn't see any pictures except for one. It was a picture of Lily, but Vago didn't know who she was. To him, it was a picture of a young woman. The second room was just like the other, but there were bullets on the desk and some Lien. Vago swiped the money for himself before leaving. The Master of Shadows went to the next set of rooms on the left-hand side of the building. The first one had blue painted walls and some gaming consoles. Vago took the time to snoop through the gaming collection, checking to see if any of his favorites were among them before leaving. The fourth room had knives assorted on a desk and different vials of dust in containers. On a bookcase was a small collection of comic books, but Vago wasn't much for comics. He left the room and went back into the living room. There was no sign this place was Team VRSZ's home.

 _"The only place I haven't looked is upstairs,"_ Vago thought to himself, feeling doubtful that he'll find anything up there.

Before he could ascend the stairs leading to the second floor, the front door opened. Vago turned to the sound of the door opening and found Ghost staring at him. The young man sighed in exasperation when he saw Vago.

"She figured someone would eventually come here," Ghost casually said to Vago.

The Master of Shadows swiftly reached into his bag and threw several shurikens at Ghost, but he nonchalantly activated Spectre so the metal stars harmlessly flew through his body. Freaked out by Ghost's ability, Vago reflexively activated Abyss and unleashed his darkness onto Ghost. He still had Spectre active but noticed how the darkness surrounded him instead of coming at him. In an instant, Vago surrounded Ghost and the front door of VRSZ's home in darkness.

Surrounded by nothing but darkness, Ghost was a little perplexed. He couldn't see anything or hear anything. The only thing that kept him from believing he was dead was deactivating Spectre and feeling the wooden floor of the duplex. "Where am I?" spoke and realized he couldn't hear his own voice. "The hell…" he said in shock and still couldn't hear his own response.

"Ugh!" Suddenly, Ghost felt his right arm, right leg, and chest being slashed by several objects. His aura protected him from any real damage, but this moment also proved Ghost wasn't truly dead and that he still had his sense of touch.

Knowing he was being attacked, he activated Spectre and started wandering around, fumbling across the living room with Vago watching in amusement. He loved seeing his victims struggle to find their way through the darkness. He threw another shuriken at Ghost, but it phased through his neck. Ghost couldn't see Vago and Vago couldn't touch Ghost. It was a stalemate.

Ghost eventually wandered out of the apartment and Vago made sure to move his darkness with him. He needed to wait for the moment Ghost stopped being intangible before attacking. Vago already had a few shurikens in hand.

 _"This is so stupid…"_ Ghost thought as he tried to traverse out of the darkness. Spectre was gradually draining his aura and he knew this, but there weren't any alternatives he could think of. What else could he do? Ghost's aura was completely depleted and Vago saw his moment.

The Master of Shadows was about to deliver a fatal blow until a throwing knife flew toward him and struck his hand holding the shuriken. He held his hand in pain then was hit by two bullets to the shoulder and the neck. He backed away to see he shot at him and found the perpetrators and the people he was searching for.

Weapons armed, Clair glared at Vago with Bianca and Azura by her side. Standing with them were all the members of team VRSZ.


	19. Strike Back

**Setting: Nexus**

The battle in Nexus continued to go on as the sun began to set in the sky. A large number of the invaders were eliminated, but there was a great amount of them still wreaking havoc in the settlement. The guards put up a decent fight, but they were beginning to lose. Many of them were too injured to fight or worse. The casualties were many and it only served as fuel to Clair de Lune's anger. And the fact this catastrophe was Grayson's doing made her desire for vengeance even greater.

 _"This aggression shall not stand,"_ she repeated this phrase in her head as she watched Vago's thwarted attempt to kill Ghost. Her Enforcers and VRSZ were ready to fight the man threatening Ghost.

The Master of Shadows didn't have to think long to figure out who they were. He knew what the members of VRSZ looked like, especially three of them. He encountered Silver and Zelts before, but you'd have to be stupid not to know who Violet was. She's very well known in Vacuo and some parts of Mistral. Any mercenary and bounty hunter should know about the girl who held a high bounty for over a year and eluded all pursuers until the bounty mysteriously disappeared. She achieved the recognition he wanted for himself. Seeing her there with all the other members made Vago realize he was grossly outnumbered. If he wanted to succeed in this encounter, he needed to use Abyss right now.

Vago stretched his arm out to unleash more darkness, but before could activate his semblance, Remus quickly closed the distance between them. He was inches away from an unprepared Vago and slammed him in the chest with a palm strike then followed up with a kick across the jaw. Vago stumbled a couple of feet to the right and found Azura by his side. His vision was still blurry from the kick, so he didn't see her punch the other side of his face.

Her fist lingered on his right cheek and she activated Pulse to release a shockwave from her fist after the punch. The burst sent him flying into a building and it left Remus stunned. "Already?" he asked surprised with the rate of his cousin's growth.

"Yup," she answered as Clair and Violet moved in to strike next. Silver walked over to the darkness to try and help Ghost out. Zelts stood by. He wasn't needed for this fight. He walked to the southern district where most of the scoundrels resided.

The Cobalts stood aside to let their leaders take charge. Violet struck first, throwing her Enigmas at Vago who got up to see the knives coming his way. They weren't giving him a moment's rest. He rolled out of the way and watched the knives land onto the wall of the building then saw ice quickly cover it. He still had control of the darkness surrounding Ghost and he created another from his left hand to cover Violet and Clair.

The darkness being spawned from his hand surrounded them and he was about to enclose them in his semblance, but Vago started to hear the sound of someone singing. The voice was beautiful, but he started feeling delirious and began losing his balance as well as his focus. The darkness from Abyss dispersed around Violet and Clair as well as the darkness around Ghost.

Still wrapped in shadows, Ghost was freaking out a bit now that he has been trudging around it for so long. The darkness was beginning to vanish and he was starting to get his senses back. He felt a hand on his shoulder and Ghost reflexively swung Purgatory at the assailant. His arm was blocked by Silver who reached his friend now that he could see again.

"Found ya," Silver said with a smirk. Ghost calmed down seeing his best friend and the darkness finally going away. Getting his vision back, Ghost could see he was in the crossroad of Nexus and it was still being assaulted. He also saw Clair and Violet engaging the man who assailed him in battle.

Vago was stumbling and having a hard time staying on his feet. Clair was still singing as she dashed toward him and moved in to strike. The Master of Shadows reached for his shurikens and threw them at the Lady of Clair to keep her at bay, but Violet intercepted them with her throwing knives. Four shurikens, four throwing knives. Each clashed and flew around Clair as she continued her march unfazed by the sharp metal objects flying around her.

 _"I'm still not good at fighting like the others yet, but I can tell that you're not good at it either,"_ she theorized as she observed how Vago fought.

One, two, three. Clair slashed at Vago three times with her pen-sword. He tried to fight back by throwing more shuriken, but his weapons were useless in close-range. He couldn't land a hit and Clair struck his arms whenever he attempted to throw his weapons. She delivered a strong punch to his abdomen. With his weapons out of the question, Vago tried to use Abyss, but Clair quickly kicked him in the stomach then another to his chest, knocking him away into the sandy road. His aura was at its lowest. He couldn't protect himself much longer.

 _"Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!"_ Vago was infuriated with the flow of battle being so against him. This was not how it was supposed to go and this was not hot his story was going to end. _"I refuse… I REFUSE!"_

Vago, on his hands and knees, activated Abyss, creating darkness beneath his hands and surrounding himself and the area in darkness. Violet threw her Enigmas into the dark mass, but there was no indication she hit him. The darkness eventually evaporated and Vago was nowhere to be seen and the knives were sticking up in the ground. The Master of Shadows was gone.

"Damn," Violet scoffed with their target getting away.

"We know where he's going. We know where they all are going?" Clair told her with an intense look.

 _Fortuna_

 **Setting: Southern District**

Most of the fighting within Nexus was beginning to wind down. Thanks to Clair, Ghost, Bianca, and Azura, they were able to assist the guards and cripple their advance. The northern, southern, and eastern districts were under control. The bandits were either eliminated, captured, or ran away, leaving a small group housed in the southern district.

Lurking in the construction area of the southern district, the rogues were pushed to the unfinished buildings and forced to use them for cover against the remaining members of the guards, resulting in a long-range shoot out. Both numbers were thinning. The guards were holding their ground to protect their home while the rogues began to slowly crumble. Seeing as the plan was failing, several of them turned tail to run away, get as far away from Nexus as they could to save their own skin. The ones that remained continued to fight back and they were beginning to turn the tide.

There were only a small handful of guards left standing. One of them was shot in the leg by a bullet and forced to take cover. He had no more aura, but he planned to keep fighting, even if it killed him. Abruptly, someone walked past the injured guard and his men. It was Zelts with Heart of Gold as wingblades. He approached the enemy with no care for defending himself. His aura wasn't fully recovered after their battle with Royal. It was close to breaking apart with one hit, but he wasn't concerned with protection. He wanted to end this now.

 _"Clair, don't be mad at me for this,"_ he thought as he raised his wingblades.

With one huge swing of his large weapons, the Knight of the Wind created a massive, violent gust of wind toward the rogues hiding in the construction area. The green winds were powerful and difficult for the invaders to doing anything against it. The force of the wind caused the buildings being constructed to shake and rumble. Some were starting to fall apart from the violent winds, something Zelts regretted he had to damage Nexus to use his wind dust.

The wind not only wrecked some of the buildings, but it began to blow the rogues off their feet. They were all being carried by the wind, crashing into nearby buildings and being ejected out of Nexus. Most of the rogues were blown out of Nexus through the southern district. The blast sent them out of Nexus while the guards finished off the ones that were still in the town but were too injured to retaliate. The rogues outside of Nexus realized they didn't stand a chance and decided to retreat back to the City of Thieves.

The enemy was finally repelled.

Nexus was badly damaged. The construction areas in every district took the heaviest hits. They were nearly reduced to rubble. The complete construction of Nexus was definitely pushed back. The interior of the settlement wasn't any better. There were very few places left untouched. The council building and other buildings in the crossroads were okay, but the damage overall was great. The forces of the guards were stretched extremely thin. More than half of them were injured, so protection from the second wave of enemies would be nonexistent. It was a miracle there wasn't any sign of Grimm. Nexus couldn't rely on Virago for backup because they were recovering from Virago's attack yesterday. No other allies could provide them with military support. Nexus was effectively crippled.

 **Setting: Nexus Council Building**

 _"Never again. I won't let it happen again,"_ Clair thought as she walked with purpose.

With the situation finally under control, Clair immediately went to the council building to check how the others were doing as well as discuss the current status of Nexus. She wanted to see if Onyx and C.P. were unscathed, but she couldn't go to the council building and the workshop at the same time. Her scroll has been receiving nonstop calls from the council members ever since the invasion started. Clair ignored them during the attack, but they were still coming and she needed it to stop. She sent Bianca and Azura to check on her cousins while she and Ghost reached the council room where the others were.

Solis, Carmine, Percy, and Chartreuse turned to the duo who entered the room. None of their faces were pleasant, which was a given, and Clair wasn't looking forward to explaining what happened or what to do hereafter. She took her seat as Ghost sat beside her. This was going to be a pain.

 **Setting: Nexus Crossroads**

The members of VRSZ were extremely exhausted. They had to deal with this fiasco after their intense battle with Royal. Silver and Zelts returned to their home and used this time to rest and recover. Remus was walking with them, but he noticed Violet stayed behind. More concerned with her well-being than his own, the Blue Flicker changed direction and walked over to her.

 _"Not again. This can't happen again,"_ Violet thought, seething with rage. She scanned the area around her, looking at all the damaged property and guards helping one another to their feet. A large number of citizens weren't harmed by the bandits which were a relief, but there a few souls who weren't so lucky.

Violet was still angry. It reminded her of the same thing Clair thought of: the destruction of Fortuna. Grayson was involved in the chaos in both settlements. How long will that man poison their lives? And how long will she let him keep breathing? This spiraled in her head as she looked around Nexus. No matter what direction, there was damage, and every scorch mark, bullet hole, and the injured person was Grayson telling her, "I did this."

"Violet?" she heard someone call her and felt a hand on her shoulder. Still wrapped up in her emotions, Violet reflexively swung out her hand to swat the hand away, only to see Remus, shaken and dejected by her action.

He looked at her in disbelief and Violet snapped out of her funk after seeing the pain in his eyes. "R-Remus! Didn't mean to… I'm sorry."

"It's okay…" he answered to reassure her, but he didn't look okay. Violet cursed herself for letting her anger, and Grayson, have this much control of her life. She never wanted her hatred for him to overlap with the others, but she was clearly failing. Wanting to prove she wasn't mad at him; Violet wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. The others weren't around, but she didn't care if they were. She would've still done this if this was her reaction to his concern. Remus raised his arms and hugged her in return, proving he was better.

"What do we do now?" he asked her while still in her embrace. Violet loosened her hold to look him in the eyes, showing how her face changed from searing, enraged scowl to a gentle, loving smile.

"Don't think about that right now. I have something in mind. You need to get some rest."

He chuckled and she didn't know why, but she liked seeing him laugh. "You too. We both need to relax. Let's go home." Remus walked with Violet back to their home and she kept her gaze on him.

"Even after everything we went through today, he could still smile. A light shining no matter how dark it gets. That's what I think of when I think of you," she thought fondly to herself as she walked with Remus back home.

 **Setting: Nexus Council Building**

"The devastation done to Nexus has reached nearly every corner. The construction sites were hit the worst. Most of those areas were toppled completely… The reconstruction of what we lost will push us back a great deal," Percy explained to the others after receiving a rush report on Nexus.

None of the other council members were pleased with this news, especially Clair who had her head down. Ghost stood beside her and watched her every reaction to the report. It wasn't looking good.

"How much of a setback did this bandit tribe cause?" Solis asked, concerned with the state of the settlement.

Percy sighed before passing the report over for Chartreuse to read. "Pretty much everything that was being worked on is gone. What was meant to take a few more months has been pushed back to about a year, unfortunately."

"Perfect," Chartreuse spat and sat back in her seat, clearly angered with the casualties. "We're back to square one."

"At least the buildings completely constructed weren't torn apart," Carmine interjected, trying to help the others look at the brighter side of things.

"True, but many of them were still damaged during the assault. We'll have prioritized getting them repaired before expanding Nexus. We need to make sure the foundation of this settlement is stable before we add anything else onto it," Percy informed with Solis and Chartreuse agreeing with him. Carmine glanced at Clair, worried the Lady of Nexus was too shaken to take part in the meeting.

"I can't believe bandits of this size raided Nexus," Solis said aloud. "Talk about random."

"It wasn't random," Clair finally spoke up and the four council members looked to her. "This was a planned assault on our home, orchestrated by Grayson of the Ravagers." Her eyes were cold and there was an edge in her voice when she said his name.

"We interrogated a member of the invading forces. Their goal was to take the members of VRSZ by force and bring them to him," Ghost explained what he and his sister learned.

Everyone in this room knew about the Ravagers. They were one of the most infamous gangs in Vacuo thanks to their accomplishments. Success during missions, rivalry with the Freelancers, their control of Fortuna, and the owners of a rogue central hub made them known throughout the desert. A dangerous threat to everyone in Vacuo.

"If they unleash another wave of enemies, we won't be able to defend ourselves. It'll be the end of Nexus…" Percy explained, slightly dismayed with the potential loss.

"I can make a request to Virago. They won't be able to send out a lot of warriors, but it's better than nothing, Carmine suggested.

"That won't be necessary," Clair reassured her. "A plan is in place to deal with Grayson and his repulsive squad."

The others were curious about this plan, but Chartreuse brought up another subject. "We may need more help with the repairs to Nexus. Even with the four allied settlements, it'll take considerable time."

Clair looked to the sea captain and said, "We can make requests to other settlements to join Nexus. That was always my goal."

"It would be nice, but I doubt anyone will join if they see the condition of this place. We'll appear unreliable. Instead of alliances, we can ask for loans then pay them back later. I think we have enough resources for that," Percy explained.

"Not a lot of settlements in Vacuo can afford to share what they have. The desert makes for scarce resources. It's what makes bandit work so lucrative in this region of Remnant," Solis told Percy.

Clair rose from her seat. This was a matter she didn't want to discuss any further. "We'll figure something out later. Now, I believe it's best to enjoy this reprieve. Soon, I'll have the Ravager problem rectified." She left with Ghost by her side.

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

After hours of deliberation and meeting with her cousins, Clair slogged into her home. Her face was obviously tired and her skin seemed pale and worn. The dark black hair the Vantablack family was famous for was disheveled atop her head. The stress of today was visible on her body. Clair was physically and mentally exhausted.

 _"I thought a council taking over meant I wouldn't have to do so much…"_ she scratched the back of her head, disregarding all the etiquette she learned over the years and dragged her feet across the living room and up the stairs. She didn't see the other residents of the house. Each member of VRSZ was in their rooms, sleeping the night away, and Clair planned to follow their lead. Clair opened the door to her large bedroom which took up most of the second floor and ungracefully fell on her bed. She didn't change clothes or anything. She fell asleep in a few short seconds.

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

Over a hundred thugs, bounty hunters, and any looking to earn some Lien went to Nexus to retrieve Team VRSZ for Grayson. Only thirty of them came back. It was an embarrassment to the Ravager's and Grayson's name. The peeved man stood before Concordia to address the people who came back. It was the same spot where he confidently told them he had a reward lined up for all of them. Vago, the leader of this invasion, stood behind Grayson and Shiranui with his head down. He was not living up to his dream and the fox faunus snickered at his self-loathing.

"So, let me get this straight. None of you were able to bring me, one Freelancer?" Grayson asked the crowd of people who were silent and grumbling.

"Pathetic. Every single last one of you. Can't even take on a girl and her three bitches. No reward for any of you." There was nothing else he wanted to say to the people he considered lowlifes. His denial of their reward was met with complaints and scoffs. What one man said caught his ear.

"And what about you?! You couldn't even kill them and you sent us to do your dirty work." Everyone stopped talking when this man spoke out against Grayson who stopped in his tracks. Shiranui was stunned. He didn't know what Grayson was going to do now that someone confronted him.

"If they were just a girl and her bitches, what does that make you who couldn't face them head on? How do we know you're not all talk?"

Grayson remained where he stood. He eyed Vago to approach him and the Master of Shadows walked toward his leader. He whispered something in Vago's ear as the crowd sided with the man. The unrest was turning to loud demands for compensation.

"What's stopping us from just taking everything you have?!" one person said.

"Do it," Grayson told Vago and the man used Abyss on the crowd, enveloping them all in his darkness.

None of them knew what was going on and began to panic. Unable to see or hear anything, people tried to escape but started bumping into each other. The fear of the unknown caused them all to attack whatever they ran into. None of them could hear the sound of metal cutting bone, bullets boring into flesh, or the death-filled screams around them. The Ravagers outside the darkness could hear it just fine. Grayson didn't flinch at the sound of carnage several feet from his position. Shiranui was slightly disturbed by it. Vago focused more on keeping his semblance going. He hasn't recovered all his aura after the battle.

After ten minutes, Vago dispersed his darkness, showing less than a dozen people still standing. The rest were cut, pierced, beaten or shot to death by those around them. The sight horrified the ones who survived. The man who dared to speak up to Grayson was one of the survivors and he started to scream in terror, but a sword flew toward him and sliced his throat open. He fell to the ground as the blade was pulled back to the owner by its cable. Grayson held his cable-sword in hand and looked at the blood staining it.

"This is why I'm not to be crossed," he warned the remaining rogues who were silent. None of them wanted to mess with Grayson anymore.

Grayson walked to Concordia to rest. "Burn the bodies," he told Shiranui as he passed his friend. The fox faunus brought out his lantern-whip and lashed the bodies with its blue flames. The fire spread, filling the air with the foul smell of burning flesh. Vago was sickened by this and retreated back to Concordia. His actions against the crowd put him back in Grayson's good graces.

The other thieves and scoundrels residing in the City of Thieves fully understood Grayson was the top dog of this place and not to be trifled with.

 **Setting: Nexus**

The next day, news spread all over Vacuo about what transpired. The tyrannical king, Royal, was vanquished by Team VRSZ and Ebony with Alexandrite taking his throne. Grayson ordered a raiding attack on Nexus to confront his former rivals in the mercenary business. The people had varying reactions to this information. Firstly, a large majority of them were relieved Royal was no longer around. How it was resolved made the kingdom look bad for not doing anything themselves and seem incompetent at delivering justice. The kingdom was in a delicate position. Grayson having Nexus assaulted was horrible news to everyone. The notorious Ravagers were already feared and this only made it worse. The rise in people's anxiety and worry caused Grimm activity to spike today. In order to regain the people's respect, the kingdom sent out Huntsmen and academy students to handle all Grimm incidents.

Nexus was doing its best to get back on its feet. After the attack, resources, and laborers from Nova, Treasure Trove Wharf, and Oasis came to assist in repairs. The council members took charge of all the work, instructing what needed to be fixed first and who needed assistance. For their service, the guards were given time off their duty to relax and recuperate. Some did just that while others felt the need to volunteer and help rebuild.

Two groups who also played a major role in repelling the attack were nowhere to be seen. Team VRSZ and Clair's group were not seen by anyone today. Without them, some of Nexus's residents were worried the Ravagers might return, but the sun rose and fell with no incident. Perhaps the assault was a one-time thing.

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

Grayson had no plans to attack Nexus anytime soon. If he did, he might catch the eye of the kingdom, putting him at war with an established military group. Plus, his actions the other day made it difficult for him to recruit any other lowlife. They were very fearful of him. For now, Grayson planned on resting, thinking about his return to Mistral, his home.

He learned from the bandits and criminal underworld in Mistral that those with strength and power command everything. It doesn't matter how strong an idea or conviction you have. If you do not have the ability to bring it to fruition, it'll remain a dream and never become a reality. 'Be strong so you can rule them all.' That is what Grayson believed. He couldn't accomplish that in Mistral thanks to the organized crime world, but the chaotic unstable land of Vacuo was the perfect testing grounds. He felt ready to return to Mistral and become the big shot he always wanted to be. Those thoughts helped him sleep during the day.

However, he was also plagued by the scar across his abdomen. The scar Violet gave him from their last encounter. The throbbing pain came and went as the day went by. It went from mild to unbearable. Grayson thought of it as nothing more than an annoyance.

Little did he know the scar's throbbing wasn't an annoyance. It was a warning signal.

It was nightfall. The moon was high in the sky and illuminated the ruined, desert city. Grayson and the Ravagers were in their rooms doing their own thing. The thugs in the City of Thieves were off doing whatever they wanted. And approaching the city from the outside were eight individuals.

Violet, Remus, Silver, Zelts, Clair de Lune, Bianca, Ghost, and Azura. They stood before the city they once called home with stern faces and weapons in hand. This was it. After all this time, they were back home. Violet looked to Clair and asked her friend a question.

"Ready?"

 **Chapter 20: Where It All Started Part 1**

* * *

 **Azura named her semblance Pulse. She uses her aura to create a concussive shockwave from any area of her body. It can be used offensively to injure opponents, defensively to keep enemies at bay or be used for mobility. Using it on her foot as she takes a step can propel her forward, giving her a short burst of speed, however, she can only move in a linear fashion and would have to repeatedly use Pulse for quick turns. Every use depletes her aura and the more aura she uses, the bigger the shockwaves. Seeing as how she just got it, Azura doesn't know how to use her semblance effectively and will continue to use it for a more direct approach.**

 **The next few chapters are very important and will some time to make so they probably won't be released weekly, but I'll try my best to make it weekly.**


	20. Where It All Started Part 1

_"This is my new normal now. These guys are my new normal. Goodbye old tranquil life of solitude, I hardly knew thee. What kind of crazy new world have I fallen into?"_

 _"Hey! Hurry up we don't have all day," Silver called out which made Violet grumble._

 _"There really is no use to going back to yesterday," she thought while she looked at the graffiti. Instead of spraying at the end, she sprayed a V in front of the R as a sign of being at the top of their new hierarchy._

 _Taking a step back to see her handiwork and the rest of the team did the same. Everyone tilted their heads to the left, trying and figure out what the logo on the car meant._

 _ **VRSZ**_

 _"VRSZ... what does that even mean?" Silver asked aloud to anyone who could answer._

 _"It's... you know, like the team names of those academy kids get when they form a team for the first time," Violet answered._

 _"But what does ours even say?" Zelts asked trying to think of something._

* * *

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

Inside the ruined city resided the scoundrels and the underbelly of Vacuo. A lot of rough bounty hunters, brawlers, bandit tribes, and thieves called this place home. Many of them were enjoying the luxury of the city with no need to worry about law enforcement to damper their good time. Grayson was the only law here and he didn't care what you did as long as you didn't cross him.

The vast majority of the rogues were partying and drinking themselves under tables while others were asleep or too drunk to keep drinking. The merry times they all shared actually kept Grimm at bay. There were more good emotions than negative here. Every night was a party in the City of Thieves. However, the fickle whims of Fortuna still lingered. One's luck could change in an instant.

Suddenly, a tornado entered the city. The green whirlwind ripped through ruined buildings and swept away anyone unfortunate enough to be close by. The destruction was heard by everyone in the city. The tornado continued its straight path in the City of Thieves while eight individuals stood before its broken borders.

The rumbling awakened anyone that was sleeping and alerted the Ravagers. Grayson was resting in his bed when the tornado struck. He ran towards the nearest window to see what was going on. There they were. Team VRSZ and their friends were back to reclaim their hometown. He always figured this would happen and was glad his new base had nearly every rogue you could find in Vacuo to act as his buffer.

Grayson's eyes lingered on Violet as she and the others walked into the city. "This will be the end of all our battles," he proclaimed to himself, strengthening his will for whatever was to come. He walked down to his arsenal room while informing Shiranui and Vago of the situation. The Ravagers were going to end this blood feud.

Before anyone in the group did anything, they all took a moment to let it sink in. They were back home, Fortuna, the place where everything started for all of them. Azura had little to no memory of this place. She mostly stood guard while the others reminisce.

* * *

 _"Come on in, I'll give you a lift to town," Violet said while opening the passenger door._

 _The boy simply said, "Understood" before entering the jeep._

 _"My name is Remus Cobalt. Thank you for the ride... um..." the boy pondered, realizing that he never got her name._

 _"Violet, my name is Violet Tulipe."_

* * *

 _"I was pretending to sleep so they would drop their guard," Silver snapped back._

 _"You still have some droll on your face," Zelts said, laughing while Silver wiped his mouth vigorously._

 _"I'm Zelts Allister. You?"_

 _"Silver Synch."_

* * *

 _Violet recomposed herself then slowly reached for some knives in her pouches which resulted in Silver aiming his guns at her. Remus reacted to this aggressive act by bearing his sword and Zelts raised his shield in self-defense. Each combatant was ready for a fight._

 _"It's on!" Silver said with a look of enjoyment._

* * *

The members of VRSZ looked back on everything that happened in this city; how they came together, how they became friends, made new friends, fought foes, lived as Freelancers, taking jobs at Moneta, and grew together. Ghost thought about how he and his father met Clair, how he started working with her, and his time bonding with Silver, and learning he had a sister. Bianca thought about how she brought an entire gang to take over Fortuna and how Silver saved her. The next thing she thought about was how Clair welcomed her with open arms, learning she had a brother, and the lovely moments she shared with Silver.

Clair looked back on a lot of things. This was her home. It was where she ruled with her family. Onyx, C.P., and Sterling. She could still see the image of Grayson running his blade through her uncle and killing him. Clair returned to the memories where he was alive and helping her run Fortuna while wishing he was still alive to help her with the critical state of Nexus.

She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts, "We can't keep wishing for the past. Never stop facing the future," she said to herself but loud enough for everyone else to hear and bring them back to reality.

"Zelts, Remus, Azura, you all know what to do," the Lady of Nexus told the three who responded with nods.

"This place is full of crooks who stole our home. No mercy," Violet reminded them of what they agreed upon.

"Perfect," Remus responded.

"Didn't plan on giving them any," Azura stated while the dust tattoos on her wrists and ankles pulsed with fire. Flames wreathed her arms.

Zelts didn't verbally answer Violet. He knew things would be different. They've been in a string of intense battles this week and he couldn't unleash the full strength of his weapons in any of them. Virago, Corona, Nexus. All settlements filled with people and buildings Zelts could destroy with his Heart of Gold. But in the City of Thieves, everyone was an enemy and the buildings are already destroyed. It was time for Zelts to live up to his nickname.

Reeling his arms back, Zelts swung them again and the wind dust in his blades created a windstorm, releasing it in a straight line and blowing away anything in its way; buildings, people, Zelts didn't care to think about it. Everything needed to go down. Several buildings were blasted away and made a straight path into the center of the City of Thieves. Zelts walked forward with his wingblades ready for any incoming enemies with Remus and Azura following behind him.

Yesterday, both teams spent the entirety of their day coming up with a plan to find and kill Grayson. All of their ideas and suggestions eventually transformed into a two-step strategy consisting of two teams. The first step was to wreak havoc in the city to let the populace know they were there. The purpose of an all-out brawl was to flush the Ravagers out of wherever they were hiding. When they were found, the group would split into two teams. One team battles any opposition standing between them and Grayson while the other team is tasked with killing him. That was their plan and they were already putting it in motion.

The three-person team took point while the rest stayed back to cover them. Violet, Silver, Clair, Ghost, and Bianca wanted to preserve as much strength as possible for the real battle. Azura, Remus, and Zelts were free to cut loose against all the nameless bandits and they could hear them. The enemy was coming.

A horde of rogues was approaching the group in an uncouth, loud manner that easily gave away their position. Remus looked in the direction and used the scope in his bionic eye to zoom in on their location. He literally saw the group coming a mile away. Without warning, he used Checkpoint to teleport into the crowd.

A group of about twenty rogues was on their way to the commotion until the area around them was suddenly and briefly covered in blue smoke. None of them knew what was happening until they heard the sound of one of their own. He wailed as he was struck down by the downward slash of Remus's sword. The ones who saw this armed themselves to fight, but Remus was faster, using his semblance again to teleport away while creating an even bigger smokescreen to cover the area. In a state of panic, the rogues were trying to figure out what was going on as they heard the sound of their comrades' scream as they were taken down until one remained. Remus teleported to the roof of a nearby building to view his handiwork.

He took down all but one, and that one launched himself directly at Remus with a mechanized gun-spear. The spear-wielding woman clashed weapons with Remus as he parried with Delta. The force of her attack pushed him back and lifted him into the air before moving past him. Remus wasn't expecting a fight but was prepared for one. He spun to the left as the enemy moved past him and he swung Delta down on the shaft of the gun-spear, slicing the weapon in half as the female fighter was landing on the ground in shock. She looked at her fractured weapon then felt a freezing stinging pain in her backside. Behind the woman was Azura with her elemental staff cloaked in ice dust and shaped like a scythe. The icy blade lodged itself into her right shoulder as the Sky-Blue Warrior mercilessly pulled the jagged blade out of her. The pain and blood loss caused the woman to collapse and fall to the ground.

Azura didn't care if she was alive or dead. She pressed on with Remus and the others. None of them could afford to stop. Enemies were around every corner. More rogues were coming to face them, but no one wavered. VRSZ and the Enforcers were prepared for the drawn-out war.

In Concordia, Grayson and the other Ravagers were going through the weapons in the arsenal room. They were preparing for the battle against VRSZ and planned for it to be the last time they had to deal with them. Vago grabbed a bag full of shuriken with wind dust and a pair of boots powered by gravity dust. Shiranui equipped himself with a blaster rifle and several smoke bombs. Grayson acquired guns, knives, and had two rocket launchers strapped to his back. Along with his grapple-sword, he was clearly prepared for battle.

"Do we have the luxury of taking our time with this?" Vago asked in an annoyed tone. He hated this was happening in the dead of night. He'd prefer if VRSZ attacked tomorrow afternoon.

"With those guys down there to keep them busy, we have plenty of time," Grayson answered before walking to a window. "Let the Freelancers get tired from fighting the pawns. We'll swoop in and take them out."

"If they managed to survive," Vago stated. Grayson wasn't so sure. Despite all the animosity he has for Violet, he knew her very well. He was aware she was the type of person to reach her goal no matter how difficult. He looked for VRSZ from the window with one of the rocket launchers in his hands. Grayson searched for them and saw a tornado rise in the west with a large explosion immediately afterward.

* * *

 _Violet and Silver stepped forth ready to initiate her plan and shared a look._

 _"I'll help you this one time. And one time only," Silver told Violet._

 _She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Same here, don't get used to this little partnership. It's not going to last long."_

* * *

All eight of them were surrounded by enemies on all sides. A mob of bounty hunters and bandits approached the group while closing any possible escape routes. The ones in front were met with Zelts erecting a tornado to sweep them into the sky while Bianca used Stardust to break through the enemy ranks and used fire dust to make it explode. Those two had the best skillset for crowd control. As the mob of enemies fell, more took their place and rushed to the group.

The ones that came charging in began to fall to the ground and clench their heads in pain. More of them began to do that as Clair used Songstress to give them headaches and cripple them. The song she sang served to immobilize any enemies who heard her and the way she sang also served as a war ballad for the others who moved in to take down the paralyzed enemies. Doing this left her susceptible to enemy attacks, but she didn't need to worry. Clair could fight and sing at the same time and Zelts remained by her side to keep her safe.

Silver and Bianca were back to back with enemies encircling them. The two of them aimed their dual guns at them and fired an endless barrage of bullets. Bianca did this while keeping Stardust active. The particles her aura created spread around them as she fought back. Fighting and controlling the particles at the same time was no easy task, but it needed to be done. Several of the bounty hunters broke through their defenses to strike, but Silver responded by moving from their location. He wrapped his arm around Bianca's waist and leaped high into the air thanks to Gravity. His maneuver did save them from being overrun on the ground though it left them very vulnerable to aerial attacks or being fired upon and that's what the enemy does.

The majority of bounty hunters pulled out guns, crossbows, or whatever projectile weapon they had or transformed the ones they were already holding and took aim. The two lovers weren't too worried about it because they weren't the only ones fighting. Landing right into the heart of the enemy was Azura who slammed her fist to the ground and used Pulse to release a massive shockwave to knock about three dozen enemies away. She quickly rose to her feet with her left arm cloaked in flames then swung it at the bounty hunters in her line of sight, hurling small fireballs at them. There were still some foes who had their eyes on Bianca and Silver and fired. Bullets and chains were coming their way. Before either could do anything, Remus teleported to their location, placed a hand on both of them, then used Checkpoint to teleport out of the line of fire. They were back to where Clair and Zelts were. Remus sprinted back into battle while the two gunners stayed behind to provide Clair some cover fire.

Ghost and Violet were advancing through enemy lines. The duo worked surprisingly well together and was very difficult to pin down. Ghost's Spectre made him nearly untouchable and Violet's Invisibility caused her opponents to lose track of her whereabouts. The confusion they created did well to ruin the bounty hunters around them. The ones who tried to strike Ghost with their weapons simply phased through his body and hit their allies behind him. Violet cut down the enemy while she was invisible and it made them think they were taking each other down on purpose, causing friendly fire and disarray among their ranks. These two were effective in causing the enemy to self-destruct.

Everything seemed to be going their way, but against numbers like these, it was only a matter of time before the group's strength began to wane. All of them knew this coming here and were ready, but no plan survived the first encounter with the enemy. That was a basic rule in battle strategy and it played a part in this battle as well.

Ghost was slashing enemies to shreds with Purgatory. The clawed gauntlet swiped and slashed at opponents close by then released lightning and ice for opponents far away. He was doing very well until he was hit by an unexpected missile. It came from above and exploded right next to him the moment he stopped using Spectre. The large blast got Ghost and a bulky number of bounty hunters too. Violet saw this while she was still invisible and watched him fly through the window of a building. Bianca called out to Ghost to see if he would respond and Clair followed the path that missile came from. It came from the top floor of Concordia and she saw who fired it. Her eyes were filled with anger as she saw Grayson with a rocket launcher in his hands.

 _"That's where you're hiding,"_

Ghost skidded across the floor before stopping. He laid there with the wind knocked out of him and like vultures, the bounty hunters honed in to eliminate him. One of the bounty hunters took one step toward the building, but he was instantly consumed in an explosion. Another walked forward and ice began to cover his body from the leg up. All of them were cautious about moving forward. No one dared to take a step until they saw a person suddenly appear before them. Deactivating her semblance, Violet slowly presented herself to the enemy, bowing in a mocking tone. Her goading succeeded in provoking some of them to walk toward her. Three of them were caught in an explosion and the fourth was electrocuted. Violet smiled to herself. She figured bounty hunters would be smarter than this.

None of them realized they were stepping into her Flower Garden. Her Enigmas were sticking into the ground around her while under the effect of her semblance. The minefield she made kept her adversaries at bay, giving Ghost time to recover. With the distance, her move created, she threw some of her throwing knives at the swarm of enemies just idly standing before her. She threw Enigmas filled with wind and gravity dust. The knives filled with wind dust stuck themselves into enemies before sweeping them and those around them into a small vortex. The gravity knives stabbed into opponents then pulled in everyone around them, creating several large heaps of people unable to break free.

One of the bounty hunters took out several throwing knives of her own and threw them all at Violet. The Violent Flower put her right leg back and readied herself as five knives came her way. In one swift movement, Violet quickly spun on her heels, grabbing each knife that came her way by their hilt, then threw them all back at the original holder. The knife user was utterly shocked there was someone this good with knives. The feeling of shock was short lived as her own weapons impaled her body.

Finally getting back up, Ghost raised his head to see Violet was defending him. He was grateful for her protection, but at the same time, he didn't like someone having to pick up his slack. He dashed toward Violet while she was still combatting the enemy and jumped on top of her, much to Violet's surprise. He pulled her through the sand and traveled to where the others were. They stood where Clair, Silver, and Bianca was located with Zelts further ahead, creating strong gusts of wind to blow the enemy away.

"Thanks," Violet said to Ghost.

"Back at ya," he responded.

Clair wasted no time. She approached Violet and told her what she learned. "Found Grayson."

* * *

 _"Man, my job was a complete failure, no money for dinner tonight. Seeing as how both our jobs as bounty hunters are done, let's end it here Vi, truce?" He spoke like everything before now didn't happen._

* * *

Before she could ask Clair where he was, another missile was coming from above, heading toward the group. Zelts saw this and quickly spun his wingblades around, cloaking himself in wind so ascend to the sky. The Knight of the Wind combined his wingblades into a shield and collided with the missile. Zelts landed on the ground without a scratch on him.

* * *

 _"We're not bounty hunters, we're freelancers here on official business. And the thought of letting you leave unscathed doesn't really sit well with me. If I haven't made it clear in the past, I really don't like you."_

* * *

"Tch…" The leader of the Ravagers wasn't pleased with his surprise attack being noticed. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, Grayson got a good look at the group and his eyes were locked onto Violet who found him and glared back. Two individuals bound together by nothing but hatred. They both had the same thought in their heads.

 _"This is your last battle,"_


	21. Where It All Started Part 2

**A/N: April 21st was Remus's birthday, but I didn't post anything because I forgot. My bad. Happy Belated Birthday, Remus!**

* * *

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

Violet and Grayson locked eyes with each other despite the distance between their locations and the mass of enemies surrounding violet's group. The intense battle around her didn't seem to affect her now that her goal was in her line of sight.

"Remus!" she called out to her friend.

"Azura! To my side!" Clair did the same.

Both Cobalts were in the thick of the enemy ranks, taking down as many as they could until they heard their respective leaders call their names. Remus teleported to Violet and Azura compressed the wind dust in her arms and released it, creating a large blast of wind to blow away all opposition and clear her path to the others.

"What is it?" Azura asked Clair as soon as she reached her destination.

"We know where we got to go. It's time to move out," the Lady of Nexus informed her with no emotion. She was ready to finish this now. Clair looked to Bianca who understood what her liege wanted her to do.

Violet called to Zelts. She needed his abilities to get rid of the fodder, as Silver would call them. "Zelts, take them all out." She tossed several dust crystals his way and he caught them.

* * *

 _"Silver are you alright?" Violet asked when they made it back._

 _"Y-yeah, but I learned something that you're not going to like," he said and she didn't know what he meant. "When I looked into his eyes, I saw something that I wish wasn't true. All this time we've been with Zelts, he's been holding back."_

 _Violet felt her body tense. She couldn't believe someone as strong as Zelts was actually stronger than he led them to believe._

* * *

Answering her demand, Zelts used Conversion to absorb all the energy in the crystals until they were completely drained and reduced to dust. Fully charged with energy, he converted it into his wingblades then swung them around, creating a towering, golden tornado that was as tall as Concordia. The tornado swallowed everything around it, especially the bounty hunters and bandits in the area. The smaller buildings around the tornado began to break apart and crumble against its might with the debris being swept in the vortex. Something else that was caught in the tornado was the Stardust particles Bianca kept creating throughout the fight.

The group was on the ground as the tornado destroyed everything in its path. Silver made sure everyone held onto each other so Gravity could affect them and increase their mass so they were anchored to the sandy floor. The tornado, along with with most of the enemy was moving in a straight path away from the battle. The Stardust particles made the sight rather pretty despite its devastating might. After it was a safe distance away, Bianca snapped her gloved fingers with lightning dust and the particles began to crackle with electricity. The tornado transformed into a vortex of lightning that violently burst, creating a massive thunderclap that resonated throughout the City of Thieves and even further.

All opposition within the tornado was certainly dead and the extremely lucky that were still in the area watched the spectacle in horror. This was what they were up against and it frightened them. They understood that VRSZ was at the top of Vacuo's mercenary game for a reason. The fear was enough reason for them to flee the area. This tactic was extremely effective at driving the enemy away, but that worked on the enemies in this vicinity. The City of Thieves was enormous and more adversaries were sure to come for them. And with the battle ensuing, it wouldn't be long before Grimm come, thriving on the negative emotions.

Time was not on their side.

"Let's get going," Clair informed everyone, "Concordia's our destination." She pressed on, not waiting for the others to respond or follow. The former monarch was fiercely determined to seize the man who destroyed her home and deliver vengeance. As everyone followed Clair to their destination, Bianca rushed to her liege's side, knowing the state Clair was in made her reckless and she needed to be protected.

Grayson watched the group march to his location and he quickly walked away from the window. He needed to prepare for their arrival and inform his fellow Ravagers of battle coming to their doorstep.

Walking through the ruins of their old home caused everyone to think about the past; the places they've been, the people they met, and the things they've done. It all passed by with every familiar location. It didn't matter how damaged it was or if it was named the City of Thieves. This was their home. Nothing was ever going to change that.

* * *

 _People were smiling, they were smiling at them. Specifically, their smiles were directed at Zelts. He received smiles, waves, and pleasant greetings from the citizens of Fortuna. Most of the pleasantries were from women of all ages, who appeared to be enamored by his presence. Zelts responded with kind smiles and waves._

 _"Well, aren't you popular. Didn't know you were such a ladies' man," Violet teased, expecting to hear another quip, but saw him look at her with a dumbfounded expression._

 _"What are you talking about? It's just people being nice."_

 _"Wow. Not only Silver but sometimes he's as oblivious as Remus,"_

 _Violet began to notice the looks she received from some of the women. They glared at her with eyes of jealousy, most likely because she was closer to Zelts than all of them. She wondered how'd they react if she wrapped her arm around him. It was a tempting thought, but it would also be awkward with Zelts who didn't get the joke. Violet simply ignored them instead._

* * *

Zelts started to chuckle a little, cutting through the silence, and it grabbed the others' attention. "What's funny?" Azura asked.

He pointed to a destroyed building. It was ruined beyond repair and was hardly discernable. Azura didn't know what was so special about it. "That's the place where we used to get tea."

* * *

 _Zelts felt a little better now that answering questions about his relationship was over. He had no problem admitting he was in one but preferred not to give out specific details. Luckily this wasn't the case since Clair asked questions for about an hour but nothing too personal._

 _"So, how intimate have the two of you been?"_

 _Zelts choked on a biscuit and Violet nearly spit out the swig of tea in her mouth. Clair had a smile but she was serious in her question._

 _"I-I uh,... I do not wish to talk about his, at all."_

 _Zelts had his head down feeling too embarrassed to look any of them in the eye. Clair grinned then drank the last of her tea while Violet's face got red at the question and answer._

 _"That's okay darling, your answer told me everything I needed to know."_

 _Zelts felt like he was going to burst. Finally fed up with being put on the spot, Zelts excused himself from the table and left to who knows where all he wanted was to get out of Clair's clutches. Violet, with her hand covering her extremely red face, peeked at Clair, who giggled from Zelts' shyness. She thought the Lady of Fortuna was an expert at getting private stuff out of people and didn't want the same treatment._

 _"Anything you'd like to tell me, Vi? You've been gone for a while. Anything new in your life? Tell me." Clair asked with her eyes on Violet, who didn't want to go through the same torturous experience._

 _"I got nothing, not a damn thing." Violet put the last biscuit in her mouth so she wouldn't have to talk anymore._

* * *

Violet and Clair recognized the location as well. It was where they usually spent during their downtime. The treasured those days when neither had worry about responsibilities and enjoy being in each other's company. Thinking fondly on those memories, Violet looked to Clair who didn't stop her pursuit of Grayson. Bianca matched her pace so she wouldn't be advancing alone.

There was only time Clair did stop walking and it was when she was in front of a building near Concordia. She looked at it with a pained expression as she bit her bottom lip and clenched her fists. Bianca recognized the building and understood why it impacted Clair greatly. This building was Moneta, the building where Sterling used to work. The memories came flooding into her mind with Grayson killing him being the last one. It still hurt to think about.

* * *

 _"I was concerned that she was going to harm you. If anything happened to you, or Onyx, or Copper because of Carabosse, I wouldn't be able to live with myself," Sterling admitted it with pain in his voice._

 _"…Uncle… thank you. Always looking out for me. What would I do without you?" Clair said merrily._

 _"I'm sure you'd do fine," Sterling said with a smile._

* * *

Closing her eyes and breathing slowly, Clair tried her best to suppress her emotions so she can focus on the task at hand.

"Clair!"

The shouting of her name made her immediately open her eyes. Before she could turn to see what was going on, she felt the clawed digits of Purgatory around her shoulder as Ghost came in contact with her. Another missile fell from above and Ghost used Spectre to make the both of them intangible. The explosive projectile harmlessly moved through their bodies and exploded around them. It did, however, get the remains of Moneta caught in the blast and the little ruins of her uncle's former business collapsed. Clair got a better look at her surroundings and saw Bianca in combat with a group of enemies, one of which carried a bazooka. She snapped out of her brief shock and moved in to help her Enforcer fight.

Arriving a minute after the battle initiated, VRSZ and Azura watched their friends combat the enemy. Bianca was already combatting the six rogues in front of her. One already fired from his bazooka and was getting ready to fire again while the other five covered for him. Two had guns in their hands and open fired at Bianca who was dashing to their position. She zipped around their gunfire with serpentine fashion, reaching the man on the left. She aimed one of her Archangels at his face and fired several rounds at him. His aura protected him from fatal damage but he was still knocked to the ground. The second one saw his chance to shot her point-blank, but Bianca swiftly moved behind him, choking him with one arm while repeatedly slashing his body with the bayonet knife on her gun in her other hand.

As she continued her assault, the other brigands decided to move in to strike her down. These two had close-range weapons: a longsword-pistol and a massive flail. They planned to kill her along with their ally to end this quickly, but their scheme failed to come to fruition when Ghost and Clair intervened. Ghost aimed for the one closest to his half-sister, the man spinning the flail, and fired several shards of ice from Purgatory, pelting him with the sharp icy projectiles and grabbing his attention.

Seeing Ghost charge his way, the man swung his weapon but was shocked to see it pass through his body harmlessly then Ghost phased through his body, scary the rogue. After passed through the man's body, Ghost quickly turned around and grabbed him by his shoulders. Ghost activated Spectre, affecting the enemy, then dragged him down beneath the sand. One minute later, Ghost resurfaced without the man and walked away.

Clair was in a sword duel with the other rogue and she was doing very well. This person was clearly proficient with this weapon, but Clair was holding her own against him. Their blades clashed again with his being closer to her face. It was obvious he had better reach with his longsword compared to Clair's pen-sword. She needed to be careful and check the distance between them. She also knew another way to win was to outsmart the enemy. The man went for a horizontal swing against her pe-sword but only struck air as Clair retracted her blade, shifting her weapon back into a pen and ducking to avoid the blade and step in closer. The battle was over with the press of a button. Clair shifted her pen back into a sword and it extended out and impaled the man, piercing through his torso. Coughing out blood, the man lost his grip on his blade as the life faded from his eyes. Clair removed herself from him and noticed how his death was similar to Sterling's.

The last rogue finally finished reloading his bazooka. He looked up to help his friends fight but realized he was too late. Bianca finished off the last two and the other was dead by Clair's feet. Alone and outnumbered, the man fled, screaming in fear they would track him down.

There was still blood on her pen-sword. Clair looked down at it with a steely gaze. "It was necessary," she told herself as she pulled out a cloth and wiped the blood away.

"We're almost there," she said aloud then turned to look at team one, "Azura, Zelts, Remus. It starts now."

"We'll take point. Doubt anyone can hold the three of us back," Azura confirmed as she and the boys walked ahead of everyone. The operation was underway.

 **Setting: Concordia**

The building which previously served as the city's hub and Clair de Lune's home was left in ruin and surrounded by groups of bandits and mercenaries. Grayson took the time to inform them that the enemy was coming this way and planned on using them as a barrier between the Ravagers and VRSZ. He was smart enough to know none of the wannabes down there could completely crush his opposition, but they might be able to take one down or at least soften them up for his team. Every person down there was a tool for Grayson to use for his own purposes. It didn't matter to him who he lost as long as he came out on top.

Each Ravager had their own section of the building to protect with Grayson at the top. Now, all he had to do was wait. Vacuo's number one mercenary was in his room which was once Clair's office where he waited for the showdown to end all showdowns. He had the weapons of his choice on his person and was mentally prepared for Violet to show her face if she made it this far.

 _"I'll be waiting, if you make it,"_

Vago was lounging around on the ground floor of Concordia while the bandits were stationed outside. He made sure he would be able to respond properly if something happened abruptly and he could use Abyss without worry. The Master of Shadows was wise to take this course of action. In an instant, many of the bandits were shouted in shock and pain.

* * *

 _"After the massacre, I planned on returning the Cobalt name to its former glory by making a name for myself, and more importantly, be the sole inheritor of the Cobalt name, that is until you showed up."_

 _"Me?" Remus asked in confusion._

 _"If you were any other Cobalt, I would've welcomed you with open arms. I would've asked you to join me, but you had to be the spawn of Rhea, you had to be the true successor to the Cobalt name."_

 _"Is it really that important to you?"_

 _"Yes, because it means no matter what I do, I'll always be subservient to you," Azura seemed to be bothered by this and Remus picked up on it, but he didn't understand how much this dilemma upset her. It wasn't until she made a demand that he wasn't expecting._

 _"Fight me now."_

 _Remus smiled the usual smile he had when he was ready for a good fight. Azura looked at him with the exact same look, showing Violet that this was indeed a Cobalt thing._

* * *

Plowing through the enemy was Remus and Azura. The former charged into the enemy with his superior speed while the latter kept pace with her newly acquired semblance. Both Cobalts were fighting side by side. Their advancement was ceased when they both ran into a hulking fellow. Remus and Azura tried to tackle him together, but his girth and muscular physique were strong enough to stop them. Up close, the man appeared to be twice the size of Zelts and his biceps were larger than a human head. Strapped to his back was a massive hammer to match his appearance. It looked like something that could only be used by the strongest people alive.

The giant man was ready to crush the Cobalts in his arms but was distracted by the green wind that suddenly appeared around him, watching scoop up his friends. Zelts was already making quick work of the enemy, creating a straight path for the other team to access the front door. The giant man suddenly felt his right arm being yanked down. It was done by Remus while Azura hopped in front of him and landed a satisfying kick to his nose, using Pulse to create a strong enough shockwave to blast him away. He tumbled through the sand as the two Cobalts continued their pursuit.

Violet, Clair, and the others used this moment to try to go through the front door, but their hopes were dashed when they were met with the encroaching darkness that Vago spawned. It spread and stretched around them before they decided to back away. Clair knew they needed to be smart about this. The five of them could overpower the Master of Shadows, however, it would take time and effort to get around his semblance which was something they couldn't spare this late in the game.

As the darkness continued its way toward them, Bianca fired a few rounds from her Archangels directly in front of her. The volley of bullets harmlessly passed through the dark fog, heading straight for Vago who rolled out of the way. The quick loss of focus made the shadows vanish.

"We take him down?" Ghost asked, ready to get his revenge of the shadow man.

"We go around," Violet told him as she pulled out some Enigmas.

Silver knew what his teammate was going for and activated Gravity. He lightened his own gravity to jump high onto the side of Concordia, standing vertically on the windows. He changed Fenrir to escrima sticks and slammed them down on the ground, shattering the glass of the window beside him. Violet threw nine earth Enigmas at the ground in front of her and the others, causing stone pillars to erupt from the points of impact, creating a barrier between them which also served as a stairway to the window.

While the team climbed the stairs, the Cobalt warriors continued their fight with the giant man who refused to go down. He stood up after their fight strike and grabbed his hammer. Azura and Remus were running side by side until Remus kicked it up a notch and sped right toward the man, palm striking him in the chest, pushing him away. Azura followed up by firing several bolts of lightning at him, electrocuting him while Remus slashed him with Delta. His attack landed but the giant man ignored the pain to counterattack. He swung his massive hammer and Remus ducked out of the way, feeling the insane force of his swing as it passed by.

Azura jumped in the air with her elemental staff covered in ice dust, taking on the form of an icy javelin. She planned on ramming it into the man's shoulder but was met with the giant's hammer after he failed to strike Remus. She blocked the majority of the hit with her weapon, but the ice around her staff shattered and she was sent flying through the area. Remus used Checkpoint to teleport to his cousin in the air. He caught her and used his semblance again to teleport safely to the ground. The giant man charged for them but Zelts stood in his way.

Wearing a smile that was drenched in arrogance, the giant man pulled his hammer back as far as he could while Zelts stood there, absorbing some of the dust in his shirt. Swinging the hammer over his head with all his might, the giant man was satisfied he finally crushed someone, or so he thought. Before the enemy was Zelts, holding the hammer at bay with just one hand. His strength was increased by Conversion even though he wasn't fully charged. He didn't need to be. The giant man's physique was imposing, but his strength was far from indomitable.

He was nothing like Royal or Alexandrite.

Keeping his grip on the hammer, Zelts dropped his shield in his other arm to deliver a powerful punch to the man's gut. The force of his blow was strong enough to knock the wind out of the giant man and sending him soaring into a ruined building. He did not emerge from the building. The giant man was down.

Most of the enemy around the entrance was wiped out save for a few more bandits and the Master of Shadows himself. Vago already had darkness spilling from his arms. The three warriors were ready for battle.

The other team was given the time needed to breach into the building without any resistance. They were inside of Concordia, the home of the Ravagers.

"Find him," Ebony orders the rest of the party as they begin their hunt.

* * *

 **The return to Fortuna, the original setting of this series, made me think back to VRSZ's original theme songs.**

 **Violet: Sable: Nano**

 **Remus: Hold on to You: Natewantstobattle**

 **Silver: Hunt Hunt Hunt: There For Tomorrow**

 **Zelts: Knight of the Wind: Crush 40**

 **Along with the original themes is another familiar song for this setting. Choosing Hope: Final Fantasy XV (Distant Worlds). It was the ending song for the 5th volume, where Fortuna was lost, and it seems fitting to have it back now that they're back.**


	22. Where It All Started Part 3

_Azura lifted her head up, looking up at the cloudless sky to feel at peace. The injuries she sustained from Platinum's plasma cannon were still there, but sky gazing made her forget about the pain and it put her mind at ease._

 _"You're named after the sky, right?" Remus asked his relative which broke her out of her trance._

 _"…Yeah," she answered as softly as she could. Her view of Remus changed and she didn't know the right tone to casually hold a conversation with him._

 _"Sky blue… It suits you," Remus said with a smile as he looked up at the sky._

 _Azura felt flustered by the compliment. No one has said something so nice about her name since her parents. She felt very happy inside and it showed in the form of a small smile. Violet watched her from above and noticed her expression. She was relieved. It didn't seem like she had to worry about Azura again when this was over. The Sky-Blue Warrior was no longer their enemy._

* * *

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

A battle cry echoed throughout the surrounding area of Concordia. Leaping through the air and landing in the thick of a band of mercenaries was Azura with her arms imbued with lightning dust. Some of the bandits had their guns aimed the Sky-Blue Warrior until their ranks were breached by another Cobalt. Running through the mercenaries was Remus, dashing in a straight line toward Vago and the other bandits. When Azura landed, surrounded by enemies, she unleashed her semblance in conjunction with her dust, something she wanted to try and see if it could work in combat. When Pulse released a shockwave around her, the lightning dust from her arms and tattoos were unleashed with it, sending a strong electric current that shocked all her enemies. Seeing the mercenaries laying at her feet, Azura was very surprised that combination worked and she wondered what other types of dust she could use with her new semblance.

Darkness spread around Vago and the other mercenaries. The latter was freaking out about Vago's sudden use of his semblance, but he didn't care, focusing on the enemy before him. He couldn't stop the others from getting into their base so the least he could do was stop the rest from breaching their home. The darkness he created shrouded himself and the other mercenaries from Remus's view as the Blue Flicker sprinted to where he saw the Master of Shadows and barreled into unknown objects. Remus dashed out of the darkened area with some mercenaries tumbling through with him. He figured Vago switched places with them in the darkness.

Remus turned to see if he could see anything from the darkness. Some of the mercenaries ran out of it, fearing the nothingness of the shadowy oblivion, but Vago was nowhere in sight. He must've still been inside the darkness. Even using the scope of his bionic eye, Remus still couldn't see a thing. Abruptly, small, flying objects emerged from Abyss. There were six shurikens that were heading toward Remus who pulled out Delta and split it into two blades. He readied himself to parry all of them, but they suddenly changed their trajectory. Instead of flying in a straight path, they all veered to his sides, three to Remus's left and the other three to his right. It took him by surprise, but Remus reacted by jumping straight up into the air as two of the shurikens clashed with each other and the other four passed by. The remaining four changed trajectory again and were heading for Remus, who didn't understand why they were moving in such a way. With the short-sword and single-edged sword of Delta, Remus cut and broke the four shurikens aimed at him.

While Remus dealt with the oncoming projectiles, Vago emerged from his own dark shroud from the opposite side and hurled ten more shurikens at the Blue Flicker, keeping him occupied and at bay. Turning to see the situation around him, Vago noticed Azura fighting the rest of the mercenaries with Zelts blasting them away with his wingblades. It was only a matter of time before they changed their attention to him. He needed to take the initiative.

After a swing from one of his blades to send another wind gust at the enemy, Zelts suddenly realized the area around him was shrouded in darkness.

 **Setting: Concordia**

It seemed that the streets of the City of Thieves weren't the only place rogues were lurking. The run-down remains of the five-story building were teeming with mercenaries. A small group was patrolling the rooms and halls, searching for the team that managed to bypass Vago's group. Inside a random office space was the team looking for Grayson. Violet, Clair, Silver, Ghost, and Bianca remained in the room, waiting for a mercenary party to walk by without noticing them. The patrol groups searching for them was interrupting their search for Grayson.

When the search party passed, by the door to their room, Clair looked to Ghost then turned her eyes to the door, signaling him to take out that group. He slowly stalked over to the door and used Spectre to go through it. Seeing the enemy, he phased through the left wall of the hallway and followed them, bypassing any obstructions to reach his target. It happened quickly and silently. Ghost returned to the room.

"It's safe we can go," he told the others as he held the door open for them to walk through. Clair saw the mercenaries on the ground and unconscious. Ghost did his job. Now, they had to hide the bodies in a room in case someone found their defeated allies.

This stratagem by Grayson was unexpected and didn't go with Violet and Clair's plan. Both of them hated to admit it, but they were impressed with his cunning. Stealthily traveling up Concordia was taking too much time, but was necessary if they wanted to succeed. If any of them started a loud brawl, it would alert the rest of the enemy to their location, including Grayson, who might run away to avoid confrontation.

The ones who took lead were Ghost and Violet. Their semblances and fighting styles were best for surprise attacks and eliminating enemies swiftly and silently. This method was fruitful as they climbed to the third floor, but it wasn't successful for long.

Ghost and Violet were silently incapacitating another mercenary group, but they were a tad unlucky with this bunch. Violet slammed one against the wall and watched him fall to the ground before she could help Ghost keep the rest quiet. The ice dust in Purgatory froze the other two Ghost had taken down and Violet quickly grabbed the third and had him in a choke hold, muffling his voice that called out for help. While this went on, the first mercenary Violet ambushed got back up through will or not being hit hard enough. He looked over to his allies being taken down and he retaliated by aiming his gun at Ghost who noticed him too late to stop him.

Two gunshots went off at that moment. The first was Bianca's. She immediately fired at the head of the man who intended to kill her brother. The second was the now deceased mercenary's gunshot and it was directed at Ghost who instinctively activated Spectre so the bullet flew harmlessly through his head and into the ceiling. No one was hurt, but the sound of gunfire drew the attention of everyone on the third floor.

"Bianca, clear the floor," Clair ordered and Bianca activated Stardust.

The shining particles crafted from her aura dispersed throughout the entire third floor. Bianca has worked with Clair and inside this building long enough to know every room on each floor. Clair told the others to wait in the stairwell while Bianca did her work. As the different groups began to move the location of the gunshot, they started to notice the particles filling the hallways and rooms they occupied. None of them knew what Stardust was capable of. Bianca had her dust glove brim with ice dust as she snapped her fingers.

On the other side of the door to the stairwell, Clair and Silver felt the chill as they were pressed by the door. Bianca opened it from the other side. "We're good. Let's keep going. I doubt Grayson's here."

As the group climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, the third floor was transformed into a frozen wasteland. Ice and frost covered the floors and walls and all the mercenaries on that floor became frozen statues, left to wait for the sun to rise and melt them out of their freezing prisons.

The team walked up to the fourth floor, the second highest floor in Concordia searched for Grayson. The stairwell ended on the fourth floor because that was the last floor for the employees. On the other side of the floor was the stairs to the fifth floor, Clair de Lune Vantablack's former office which was now Grayson's bedroom and arsenal room.

As Clair opened the door to the fourth floor, she was very surprised by the vast changes the destruction caused. All the walls on the fourth floor were demolished. All the office spaces and rooms were reduced to rubble, leaving the entire floor as one enormous room. Clair and the group could also see one more group of mercenaries on the other side of the floor, standing between them and the stairs. Violet could also see Shiranui in the midst of the group.

The fox faunus had no faith in the Master of Shadows. He anticipated Vago failing to keep VRSZ at bay and prepared for their arrival by supplying this group of bandits with some of the weapons in Grayson's arsenal room.

"They're all that's left. The only thing standing between us and Grayson," Clair thought as she stared them down. This was the final wall dividing her from her uncle's killer.

"Fire!" Shiranui wasted no time as he ordered the bandits to attack.

The group of eight mercenaries had three with long-range weapons; an assault rifle, small missile launcher, and submachine gun. The team countered with Violet quickly throwing several Enigmas with earth dust onto the ground, creating walls of stones to act as cover, and everyone huddled behind it. The gunslinging duo had their guns out and started firing back while the others figured out what to do next.

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

Azura broke the nose of the final bandit she was fighting with a fist cloaked in thick ice. Once the bandit fell and there were no other enemies around, she turned her focus onto the dark orb in the area, recognizing it as Vago's ability. The creator of the darkness was nowhere to be seen and she knew he had to be somewhere for this massive sphere to be present. The darkness was spreading, reaching Concordia. Remus was still on the first floor cautiously watching the shadows encroach to his position. Running straight into it would be foolish. He learned from recent experience, so he had to figure out what to do next.

Zelts was being attacked from all sides while he struggled within the darkness. He couldn't see, hear, or smell anything. Even the taste of his own sweat vanished in this dark void. The only feeling that remained was touch and he felt it every time he was cut and slashed all over his body by some small buzz saws. Vago was inside the darkness as well, but he was the only one who could see clearly through his Abyss. He was aware of Azura and Remus outside his reach as well as Zelts flailing around. He took complete control and kept throwing wind dust shurikens at the Knight of the Wind, chipping away at his aura with unseen attacks coming from multiple, unpredictable angles.

Heart of Gold was useless against in shield form. It failed to keep him safe. Zelts held his shield up and moved his body around frantically. It was able to block the shurikens coming in that direction, but the flurry of metal blades from every other direction cut his aura away.

The fear of the unknown. People are afraid of the things they don't understand, things they can't control. The darkness preventing Zelts from seeing what was going on was starting to irritate him. He knew this was Vago's doing, but how it was happening was a different story. He remembered the last time he and Silver dealt with Abyss. The darkness robbed him of his senses, but the wind dust in his blades was still usable. Zelts needed to be able to split his Heart of Gold and create a windstorm to repel the attacks coming his way. That is if he could find a moment to do so. The shurikens were still coming his way. They did little damage to his aura, but the numerous, unrelenting threat kept him pinned down. He just needed one small moment to spin and unleash his gust.

Inside the darkness with Zelts was Vago. He stood in one spot and kept throwing his wind shurikens at his foe. The wind dust helped the metal objects change their trajectory and throw Zelts for a loop about where they were coming from. He had the same thought the Knight of the Wind had; keeping him pinned will prevent him from creating another windstorm. He planned on dwindling Zelts down until his aura was gone then kill him. However, maintaining Abyss was gradually reducing Vago's aura. This was a battle of endurance. Who would last longer?

 _"Do you how famous I'll be in Vacuo if I kill a member of VRSZ?"_ Vago thought to himself, excited at the idea of getting the recognition he dreamed of.

His fanciful thoughts were cut short when he saw a fireball being lobbed into the dark sphere he created. It landed in the sand, far away from himself or Zelts. Another one came and it landed in the wide space between him and Zelts, but Vago could see where it came from. Azura was using the fire dust in her tattoos to create and hurl fireballs, hoping to hit Vago even if she couldn't see him. He chuckled at her pathetic attempt to avoid Abyss and thought about harassing her with his shuriken, but something else took by surprise; a hand on his arm.

On the other side of the shadowy orb was Remus who was tired of standing and waiting to see if his friends were okay. Taking a brave step, he walked into the Abyss while Vago was attacking Zelts. The Blue Flicker slowly walked into the darkness despite how it stripped him of his vision and other senses. He carefully moved around with his arm out to find something tangible. Remus was slowly making his way toward Vago who was too consumed with killing Zelts. He finally made his way to Vago, taking hold of his arm, not knowing who he was.

Vago stopped and saw Remus grab him. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. _"Can he see inside Abyss?"_ he thought, fearful of the idea of Remus seeing through his semblance.

Remus finally held onto something and he figured it was an arm, but he didn't know whose arm it was. He began feeling the arm up to the shoulder then to the neck and face to discern who he encountered. While he was doing this, Vago was perplexed and annoyed with the young Cobalt groping his face. He finished holding onto Vago's face and had an answer to his deduction; enemy.

Vago couldn't retaliate in time as Remus grabbed him by the back of his head and brought it down so he could headbutt him. The sudden attack stunned the Master of Shadows who couldn't protect himself from Remus kicking him in the gut. The strong, solid blow knocked Vago a distance away and Remus was no longer in the presence of his enemy. The sudden assault took Vago by surprise but he kept his focus so Abyss wouldn't disperse and he surmised that Remus couldn't see him with the distance his kick created, however, Remus wasn't the only person Vago had to worry about.

As he was about to throw several shurikens at the young Cobalt, Vago took note of how the wind around him began to grow violent. He forgot who he was fighting before Remus. "Oh shit."

The diversion Remus created gave Zelts more than enough time to create a vortex of wind. He spun around to get it stirring and then expanded it to cover as much ground as it could. The powerful wind caught both Vago and Remus. It blew them away, out of the darkness. Vago landed inside Concordia, tumbling and rolling into the first floor while Remus slammed against the outside of the building, crashing into the wall, though his aura protected him from any serious damage, it was still unexpected friendly fire.

The wind blast and the rough tumbling through stone was enough to break Vago of his focus, ergo his hold on Abyss. The darkness began to fade away and Zelts could finally see the moonlight, as well as Vago who was in Concordia and Remus, was slumped against it. Zelts put two and two together and realized his friend was hurt because of him. He rushed over to Remus's side while Azura walked into the building.

"Hey! Remus, you okay?!" Zelts asked as he checked Remus for any injuries. His body didn't seem to have any bruising and none of his bones seemed fractured or broken.

After a few seconds, the Blue Flicker opened his eyes and looked to Zelts. "Did we beat him?" he asked with a little smile on his face. He was fine and Zelts flashed him a satisfied and relieved smile.

"Yeah. He's down."

The two walked over to the massive hole that was the first floor's entrance and watched as Azura approached Vago, who was struggling to stand on his two feet. On his face was a great deal of frustration. _"This was not how this was supposed to go. I was going to finally be known as a somebody… be somebody. I wasn't going to live in shadows anymore…"_ Vago was having a mental break. He was starting to lose his cool with the situation unfolding against him. Looking up to the confident, Sky-Blue Warrior approaching him, the Master of Shadows began to lose his cool and became consumed with envy and fury.

"AAAHHHHHHH!" Vago shouted as he made one big lunge for Azura.

His last attempt to strike down his opponent ended with a loud cracking sound. Azura reacted by smashing her elemental staff against his head. This blow was strong enough to deplete what was left of his aura and rendered Vago barely conscious. Azura didn't stop her assault there. She quickly followed her attack with a front kick to his jaw, reeling him backward as he landed on the ground, out cold.

The Master of Shadows was taken down.

Azura had her staff in one hand and activated the dust in that hand's tattoos, cloaking it and her weapon in ice dust until it took the form of a frozen spear. She slowly approached Vago with every intention to end his life. It was the very reason all of them were here.

"Azura," Zelts called out, halting her advance, "we're gonna need your help."

She turned to the entrance to see that more bandits and rogues were closing in on their location with Remus and Zelts were prepared to fight them all. Azura realized he was right. Fending all of them off was more important than dealing with a defeated has-been. She left Vago to join the others. They needed to defend Concordia for the others.

The night continued as the sound of battle resonated throughout the City of Thieves.


	23. Where It All Started Part 4

**A/N: While making these chapters these past few days, I'm started to realize something; I writing up ideas for the Team VRSZ story four years ago and published them three years ago. Time really does fly. I'm so proud I created this OC team and kept working on it, building it up into what it is now. I'd also like to thank everyone who has read the series, long-time readers and new ones alike, and reviewers who told me what they liked and disliked about the story. The VRSZ series is still going strong thanks to all of you.**

* * *

 **Setting: Concordia**

Gunfire and explosions went off repeatedly on the fourth floor of Concordia. Sitting in his chair and listening to the conflict below was Grayson. He didn't make any attempts to flee from the ensuing chaos. It didn't matter to him if he faced VRSZ or they die trying to reach him. He remained true to his word.

This would be their last battle.

Suddenly, Grayson rose from his self-proclaimed throne.

Pinned behind stone walls, Violet, Clair, and the others waited for an opening to strike back, but the endless onslaught of the enemy made it seem impossible. Silver and Bianca were using their guns to fire back and show some defiance.

The loud, unending sound of weapon fire drowned out everything else. Clair's Songstress wouldn't be loud enough to take hold of the enemy. Her semblance was unintentionally neutralized. Ghost stayed by her side, ready to use Spectre to make sure nothing harms the Lady of Nexus.

* * *

 _"Dammit!"_

 _Silver got back as quick as he could before they could ignite, but was caught up in the force of the explosion, pushing him down the hallway he broke through the banister and fell into the living room on his side. He was still hurt from his previous fight with Zelts, but even without the injuries, he didn't think it mattered. Violet walked through the hallway, stepping over the broken door without keeping her eyes off Silver and bearing a very angry face._

 _"How dare you betray me! Not only are you going after me, but you have the audacity to go after Remus and Zelts as well!" she screamed, madder than before as she jumped down to the living room._

 _Silver didn't respond, anything he said now would not quell her rage so he gripped his staffs. "If you wanted to prove you weren't one of us then congratulations! You just drew the line in the sand!" Violet was beyond reason now as she dashed for Silver and he did the same, clashing with each other in close combat while destroying the confines of the house. Their base. Their home._

* * *

The Silver-Tongued Gunslinger glanced over at Violet and an idea sparked in his head. He placed Fenrir into their holsters, pulled out his scroll, and swiftly started texting. Violet received a message on her scroll a few seconds later. She looked at the content Silver wrote and her eyes widened before she turned to him.

He smirked and mouthed a single sentence, _"We got this."_

* * *

 _"Fine, make your peace with her but don't make me regret it. I'm going to tell the others to fall back just in case."_

 _"Thank you so much, Violet, I owe you."_

 _"You do realize after all this is over I officially own your ass right?" she said darkly getting behind him for emphasis._

 _"Yeah. I know."_

 _When Violet stood behind him, she put two Vorpal Swords in his hands and he silently accepted her small tokens of forgiveness._

* * *

Violet waited for the moment Silver was planning to create. She had no idea what he was going to do, but she put her faith in him. He's already earned that after everything they've been through. Already thinking of how to get through herself, Violet pulled out some of her Enigmas.

Silver nudged Bianca's shoulder with his to grab her attention without messing up the rhythm of her shooting. Her eyes were on him and he did several gestures; he pointed to the roof, made the motion of swimming through water, then slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand. It looked like something completely random and unreadable.

"You got it," Bianca replied, knowing exactly what her partner was trying to convey.

Putting the plan into motion, Silver took center stage by using Gravity to jump into the air and stand on the ceiling, grabbing the enemy's attention. With his body exposed, the ranged fighters aimed their weapons at him, giving Bianca and Violet the moment to strike, however, this wasn't missed by Shiranui.

Bianca activated her semblance and Stardust particles scattered around her before she directed it at the enemies, moving low to ground around their ankles. Violet used Invisibility to cloak the three throwing knives and threw them at the enemy so they couldn't see it coming.

The bandits holding the submachine gun and assault rifle felt a sharp pain as the Enigmas collided with their hands and they dropped their weapons. The one with the missile launcher was hit by the invisible knife as well, but instead of dropping his weapon, the sudden attack caused him to move, veering away from Silver and pointing the missile launcher to his right side. He accidentally fired and the missile flew through the large room and into the wall. The explosion caused the already unstable building to rumble and the wall and floor to crumble. The hole the missile created continued to break apart, spreading all over the wall and the floor. The debris fell down to the third floor outside and the floor didn't stop splitting until it was near the center of the room.

Concordia finally stopped shaking and there was no indication it was going to fall apart. It was a relief to everyone, but that feeling was fleeting for the bandits. The particles from Stardust was spread across the floor at the enemy's ankles just as Bianca snapped her fingers with ice dust covering her hand. The ground began to flurry with frost and ice before freezing the ground beneath the bandits. The feet were frozen to the ground and they were unable to move. The dropped assault rifle and submachine gun were frozen solid and beyond further use.

Shiranui, the cleverest member of the Ravagers, jumped into the air to avoid the trap. He also had an educated guess what was going to happen next so he threw a few of his newly acquired smoke bombs around his area, confusing the bandits who couldn't stop panicking.

With the enemy immobilized thanks to Silver's plan, Violet and Clair used this chance to run straight for the stairs. Violet held Clair's hand to activate Invisibility to make them both invisible to prevent the enemy from seeing them and finding some way to retaliate. The fox faunus landed on the ground and grabbed his lantern-whip as he carefully observed the smoke his bombs created. It was true Shiranui couldn't see Violet or Clair while they were invisible, but their movements and the motions of their bodies could be followed by the smoke.

A large wisp of smoke moved past Shiranui in an irregular way. _"There!"_

The fox faunus swung his lantern whip in a wide arch to cover more ground. The chain of his weapon wrapped around Violet's invisible body, seeming like it wrapped around a phantom. He quickly yanked his whip and pulled Violet away from the stairs tossed her toward the massive, recently created hole. Silver responded by jumping from his perch on the ceiling and diving to get his leader and friend. Violet's disconnection from Clair caused the Lady of Nexus to became viewable again and Shiranui moved to fight her. He tried to strike her with his weapon, but instead of wrapping around her, the lantern-whip wrapped around the haunting gauntlet that was Purgatory. Standing between the faunus and the lady was Ghost with a serious glint in his eyes.

"Remember me?" he asked with a dark tone to show he wasn't playing games.

Shiranui remembered Ghost very well and he also remembered his weakness. In a split second, he active the lightning dust in his whip, cloaking the entire thing with electricity to harm his opponent. Ghost was being shocked by the electricity, but he didn't plan on moving. In fact, he grabbed the whip with his other hand and pulled on it with enough strength to pull a surprised Shiranui his way.

As the fox faunus was coming his way, Ghost had Purgatory clenched in a fist and threw a punch his way, but only hit the air as Shiranui activated his semblance to turn into smoke and harmlessly pass by Ghost until he was between him and Clair. He was about to reform until bullets came his way. Bianca had Archangels aimed at him before moving to where her team was. This was the moment Clair needed. She ran toward the stairs now that Bianca and Ghost were defending her backside.

The siblings watched as Shiranui became solid again. He did so in the air, landing in the area where the bandits were immobilized. He slammed the lantern of his weapon onto the ground and the blue flames shot out and spread throughout the area, melting the ice and freeing the enemy. He wasn't a fighter. Shiranui couldn't hold his own against any of them on his own, so he needed to take every opportunity to give himself an advantage. Using these guys was his best move.

Bianca aimed one of her guns at Shiranui and pressed the button to launch her bayonet knife at his head. He was able to duck out of the way, chuckling to himself at the obvious attack, but his superiority fell short when he noticed she grinned at him. He found out too late that Bianca wasn't smiling at him.

The knife that flew behind Shiranui was grabbed by someone else. Slamming the back of Shiranui's head with the hilt of the knife was Violet with Silver beating the other bandits with his escrima sticks before shifting them to guns. He fired bullets of wind dust at them. Each shot of compressed wind that blew them all across the floor. The fox faunus was on the ground momentarily before using his semblance to change into smoke to avoid further harm.

The duo regrouped with Clair's team while the enemy was stunned. No words needed to be said between the five of them. It was clear what everyone was going to do next. Sharing glances of trust between each other, Violet and Clair dashed for the stairs leading to the final floor. To Grayson.

 _"No!"_ Shiranui thought while in smoke form as he flew to Violet and Clair. His smoke form responded to his desperation and took the form of a monstrous beast homing in on its prey.

As the fox faunus made his way toward the two girls, a frosty whirlwind consumed his smoky form and pulled him away from his intended path. The person behind this was Bianca, creating as many Stardust particles as possible to block his route. Ghost jumped in with flames emerging from Purgatory's palm and he shot it out like a fireball at Shiranui's smoke, causing it to disperse then form together further away from Violet and Clair.

He was too late. Violet and Clair reached the stairs and started climbing.

None of these attacks harmed him, but they were getting in his way. He returned to his original position where the bandits once stood and returned to solid form. He was infuriated with their interference and his failure to prevent them from reaching Grayson. Shiranui needed to stop them, but he needed to take care of the trio before him first. The other bandits were finally getting back up and he was relieved to know they still had the clear advantage in numbers. He reached for the blaster rifle he still had strapped to his back.

Silver, Bianca, and Ghost stood in front of the door leading to the fifth floor. Their mission was to stop anyone from getting past them by any means necessary. The Silver-Tongued Gunslinger had Fenrir in both his hands. Ghost was armed and ready with Purgatory. Bianca took the lead with her Archangels aimed at the enemy.

It was difficult to admit out loud, but Silver relished the thought of fighting with his girlfriend and best friend in their old home. He wondered when was the last time they've fought together and he realized it was when they all used to live here. Nostalgia was welling up in his heart and a smile of pure happiness made its way onto his face.

"It's on!" he shouted with excitement.

Time seemed to move at a snail's pace and the air felt heavy. The Violent Flower and Lady of Nexus climbed the stairs with their hearts beating so loud it felt like they would burst out of their chests. At the top of these stairs was the person of interest. The goal they've been striving for, but for some reason, confronting Grayson felt different. It wasn't like the other encounters Violet had with him in the past. The pressure of the upcoming battle was nothing like their last battle in this building. Clair was shaking with anger and fear. Violet was starting to understand what this foreboding sensation was.

She said the words before, thought the words before, but she was finally starting to realize how real they were becoming.

"This is our last battle."

The moment they meet, a fight would ensue and one of them will die. She and Grayson vowed to kill each other multiple times, and now, one of their desires would be fulfilled tonight. This feeling of dread came because Violet was scared, scared the one dying would be her. Even with Clair by her side, she couldn't quell her fear of losing the most important battle of her life.

Either way, the long conflict between Violet Tulipe and Grayson will end.

The duo was making their way up the last flight of stairs with their eyes on the door leading to the fifth floor's hallway. Beyond that was the door to Clair's old office and to Grayson. Clair was ahead of Violet as they approached the stairs until she stopped. She looked to her friend with scared, but hopeful eyes.

"Ready?" Clair asked her best friend, finding the resolve in herself to see this through to the end.

Seeing her friend stand to the challenge lit a fire in Violet's heart. The fear was still in her heart but was being overshadowed by fortitude. She was ready for the fight to come. Violet climbed the last few steps to stand by Clair's side, both prepared to approach the fight that means so much to both of them. However, neither was prepared for the fight to approach them.

The door to their left side and the adjoining wall were blown away with an explosion and the two young women were knocked back with it. Violet and Clair were pushed across the small stairway, smacking into the wall before falling straight down. Clair landed on the stairs beneath, falling uncomfortably on her side while Violet fell lower, crashing onto her back. Their auras protected them from serious injury but it didn't make them feel any better.

"Huh? So, it was you who was coming up here," a familiar voice echoed through the stairwell. The two girls looked up to see the man they wanted to see stood above them with his rocket launcher in hand. "You ever wonder why the final boss in video games wait for the main party to arrive instead of going to them and crushing them with ease?"

His disgusting smirk was all too familiar to them. Even with the passage of time, the months they haven't seen each other, Violet still hated looking at Grayson's arrogant face. Her repulsion to his very being spurred the moment she saw him again. Clair, seeing Grayson in her own building, began to burn with rage. Anger, fear, sadness, wrath; all those feelings were surfacing at once. It was beginning to overwhelm her.

He wasted no time and aimed his rocket launcher at them. In a desperate attempt to stop his second attack, Clair activated Songstress with a loud, wail. It was the most violent and ear-splitting sound Violet and ever heard. Even Clair was surprised by the deathly cry she released. It formed out of her rage toward Grayson. The power was great but also indiscriminate.

"AAAHHHH!" Grayson shouted in pain as Songstress attacked his brain. It was so excruciating that he dropped his rocket launcher that fell down by his feet to clutch his throbbing head.

"AAARRRGGGG!" Violet did the same as the wailing affected her as well. She laid on the ground and squirmed as the pain continued to drill into her mind. This was her first experience being harmed by Clair's semblance and it taught her how frightening it really was. Right now, Violet felt like there was a swarm of rats inside her skull trying to claw their way out.

It took Clair a moment to hear Violet's screaming over her own wailing and when she did, she realized her attack wasn't focused solely on Grayson. This variation of her semblance was powerful but dangerous to use with allies around. She ceased her action, ashamed with what she just did. With her wailing done, the pain it caused faded away. Grayson stopped holding his head and reached down for the rocket launcher. Before he could take hold of it, a throwing knife was thrown his way, stabbing his hand and electrocuting him, causing his body to involuntarily jerk and accidentally kick the rocket launcher off the ledge. He knew who did this. Violet glared at him with determined eyes.

"Shit!" he exclaimed after the brief electrocution. He grabbed the other rocket launcher he had on his back.

Violet noticed what he was doing and responded faster by jumping from the stairs so she had a clear view of the ceiling. She threw a throwing knife and it pierced the ceiling. The dust in the hilt was gravity and it activated. The gravitational force in the Enigma pulled in debris around the knife, covering the ceiling, including Grayson's rocket launcher. The weapon slipped out of his hands while he was still grabbing from his back and he was starting to feel his body being dragged to the knife as his feet slid across the ground.

He took hold of his grapple-sword and threw it behind him until it stabbed into the wall at the end of the hallway. Using the retractable cable connected between his sword and his metal armband, Grayson pulled himself into the hallway to avoid the gravitational pull of the Enigma. He lost his two rocket launchers, but Grayson was still equipped with guns and knives. He was ready for this fight.

The dust Enigma was still in effect as it pulled in more debris, but it wouldn't last long. Once the gravity dust is used up, everything will fall down, on top of Violet and Clair, burying them alive. Clair runs to the top of the stairs or leaping over what's left of them after Grayson's attack while Violet was further below Clair. She reached for her Enigma with a cable attached to it. She threw it at the ceiling with it hitting its mark, thanks to the dust Enigma still being active, and started to swiftly climb the rope, making small jumps upward to hasten her ascension.

Clair jumped over the last gap between the stairs and made it to the hole in the wall where the door once was. Violet was still climbing her cable and she made it as well, but the dust Enigma finally ceased. All the rock and metal were about to fall on top of her and her roped knife was about to fall too, but Violet swung herself off her rope at the last minute just as Clair walked through the hole.

Grayson anticipated they would follow him and he already had a gun in his hand. He had it aimed and fired on the girls. Violet was in the middle of landing on the ground when she saw the gun but was too late to stop him from firing four shots. She quickly grabbed four Enigmas and threw them into the bullets' paths. Three bullets collided with three knives, but the fourth pair passed by each other. The bullet struck Violet in the shoulder and her aura protected her from any serious damage, but she took a step back after being hit by the bullet. The Enigma landed in the ground near Grayson who laughed in amusement at her failed attempt to strike her.

The Enigma on the ground suddenly exploded with Grayson close enough get caught in the blast. Smack! He collided hard with the wall to his right and the explosion blew a hole into the wall to his left which led to Clair's old office. While the smoke still occupied the hallway, Grayson used it to cover his tracks and rush into his room, but not before rolling some of his explosives toward Violet and Clair.

The Lady of Nexus took the initiative and reached into Violet's Enigma bag, surprising her friend who was a second away from doing the same thing. She grabbed some knives with Earth dust in the hilt and threw them at the ground in front of them, creating a stone wall that covered the entire hall. The explosives went off on the other side and took the wall down, but it was strong enough to take the entirety of the blast leaving Violet and Clair unharmed.

Violet was shocked and impressed with Clair taking the active role in defending them. She was true to her word about being ready for this fight. The two of them ran forward to Clair's old office, Grayson's new room, the very place where Sterling was killed.

* * *

 _Sterling parried a strike from Grayson's grapple-sword, but he could barely stay on his feet. Not only was he fighting against sleep, but he was also weaker in his old age. Grayson was much faster as he was able to land some gashes on the older Vantablack, chipping away at his aura. Clair was very similar to Violet when it comes to combat; she didn't like being the damsel in distress. She was about to use Songstress to subdue the Ravager, but Grayson was aware of her semblance. Grayson clashed with Sterling once more before pushing him away, that's when he noticed Clair beginning a melody and lunged for her. He had his sword ready to kill, not for Clair but for the one he knew would come and protect her. Sterling quickly got between the two and had his pen sword directed at Grayson's heart. The mercenary swerved his body to avoid the blade as well as drive his weapon into Sterling and he succeeded. Grayson plunged his sword into Sterling's chest while the pen sword stabbed into his shoulder._

 _Clair looked on in silence at the sight before her. Sterling Vantablack, her loving uncle who has been with her since the death of her parents, the man who helped her build Fortuna into what it was and one of the few people she could always trust, was dead. She didn't respond verbally, she couldn't. No words could describe what she was feeling, though the tears filling her eyes did the job rather well. She silently shed tears at the horrible end that fell her uncle and didn't pay attention to what happened next._

 _Violet made it to the floor where Clair's office was located and didn't hesitate to burst through the doors. At first, Violet couldn't believe the sight she saw because she didn't want it to be true. In front of her was Clair, on her knees and with tears rolling down her cheeks, Grayson standing close to her while removing the pen sword that was lodged into his shoulder, and between them was Sterling, laying on the ground with Grayson's sword through his chest. Blood filled the air and only the sound of Clair's weeping could be heard. Violet felt nothing at first. There was a void in her mind that was still processing what she just witnessed._

 _Grayson slowly pulled his sword out of Sterling's deceased body then flicked the blood off of it. He pulled out the pen sword in his chest and threw it in front of Clair._

 _"So much for being a guardian-" Grayson mocked but stopped when he finally noticed Violet was in the room._

 _"Oh, hey Vi. I was wondering when you'd show up," he said in a friendly tone._


	24. Where It All Started Part 5

_"I just have one question Silver," Violet said and he was a little worried what it could be. "Whose side are you on?"_

 _Usually, Silver's answer would've been 'the winning team,' but he didn't need to say that ever again, he had a new answer._

 _"My family," he answered completely sure of himself. Violet seemed satisfied with that answer based on her small grin before facing the enemy with a fierce look_.

* * *

 **Setting: City of Thieves**

The howling of wind reverberated throughout the City of Thieves as buildings fell, sandstorms were created, and bodies littered the center of the city. Another massive vortex blasted through another street filled with bandits who were blown far away from the building on Concordia. Zelts sent whirlwind after whirlwind at droves of enemies that came his way. Attacking them in this manner was the most efficient way for him to keep all adversaries at bay.

The sandstorms he unintentionally created caused the sand to be flung around and began to cover more of the buildings. Slowly but surely, the sand levels in the city were rising. If this continued, half of the city would be submerged.

Despite winning against overwhelming odds, he was beginning to tire. They've been fighting all night and Zelts was winded. He wanted to take a break but another group of enemies was approaching Concordia. If the Knight of the Wind remembered correctly, Remus said he was the best at AOE attacks. He also remembered looking up what AOE meant after Remus's comment. At this moment, he was living up to his friend's praise. _"No one's getting past us,"_

On the other side of Concordia, the last of the Cobalt tribe were battling together against a small battalion of enemies. Remus had Delta split into two blades and Azura had her elemental staff imbued with lightning dust.

Her polearm crackled with electricity as she slammed it against bandits. She jabbed it against a man's stomach and lightning surged through his body as he fell to the ground. When four tried to surround her, Azura twirled her weapon around her fingers then around her body, striking each of the bandits surrounding her. With each blow, she shocked and paralyzed all four of them before falling unconscious.

As those four fell in defeat, three more, ninja-like bandits leaped in the air high above Azura with their short-swords out and aimed at Azura's backside. They were ready to kill the Sky-Blue Warrior until a cloud of blue smoke filled their field of vision. None of them could see what was happening then they were struck by swords before falling to the ground around Azura who watched them. Descending from the blue smoke was Remus, landing beside his cousin with his two swords.

Remus took a deep breath before running into another flock of enemies. Azura could see her younger relative was starting to tire. It was obvious against these odds after such a long span of time. She knew he couldn't do this forever. Dr. Lupa's enhancement training allowed him to surpass the normal limits of the human body, but that didn't mean Remus was without limits. He was starting to feel fatigued. Azura was feeling it as well. _"How many more of these bastards are in this city?"_

Running, slashing, teleporting, and firing upon enemies was the routine Remus followed throughout the entirety of this battle. It proved useful as his opponents had a hard time pinning him down. He jumped toward one bandit and kicked him in the chest with his left leg then kicked off of him with his right, landing on the side of a building where he changed Delta to its laser rifle form. With the rapid-fire setting, Remus fired volleys of energy bolts at the enemy below, attacking from a distance to give himself a short reprieve.

He could feel the beads of sweat starting to roll down his face. He began to feel tired. His aura was getting pretty low from using Checkpoint so frequently and the recurrent use of his semblance was making him feel nauseous, as it usually does when overtaxed. The urge to hurl reared its nasty head, but Remus forced it back down. He needed to follow his objective and keep the enemy from entering Concordia to protect the others.

While he did think about everyone else, Violet became the person of interest to him. She was the most capable person he knew, but that didn't stop him from worrying. "Make it back," he whispered under his breath before leaping down the horde of enemies below.

 **Setting: Concordia**

A man screamed loudly as he was flung out of the gaping hole on the fourth floor. Ghost was by the hole with his arm out along with an unrepentant face.

 _"One down,"_

Ghost turned to see his sister and best friend combatting the other seven rogues and the Ravager trying to take advantage of the chaos. Shiranui fired round after round of lightning bolts from his blaster rifle though he wasn't as proficient at it as he liked to be. He wasn't expecting the recoil as he fired four shots at Silver and Bianca. Two narrowly missed Bianca, the third one hit the wall, far away from either of the gunslingers, and the fourth bolt hit one of the bandits fighting with him. The friendly fire caused the man to be stunned for a few seconds before he turned to look at the fox faunus in irritation. This moment resulted in that man getting the back of his head slammed by Bianca's heel as she brought her leg down with great force. The man's aura faded and Bianca still stood above him. She lifted her leg again and brought it down on his head with the same force as her first.

One more bandit was defeated. Six remained.

Shiranui assessed the battle before him and he could tell his side was going to lose. They had the superior numbers, but the others had something better; synergy. As Bianca finished one bandit, three more tried to attack her from her backside, flanking her with pistol knives, but all two of them were shot with explosive rounds of fire dust from Silver who jumped into the fray from their backside.

As the shots blasted them away from Bianca, Silver ran up to her while she extended her arm. He grabbed her arm and activated Gravity, making her body very light so he could spin her around before tossing Bianca at the two bandits. Her hair shined as she soared toward the bandits who had their guards up. She maneuvered her body so she passed by them harmlessly as a trail of her Stardust particles followed her. She snapped her fingers with fire dust cloaking her glove and the particles around the bandits began to spontaneously combust, enveloping the enemy in a fiery explosion and breaking through their aura.

Silver followed up by moving into the enemy's space after the fire died out. With Fenrir as escrima sticks, he started beating the enemy down over and over again. His strikes and blows didn't only consist of his weapon. Silver began incorporating elbow strikes and kicks, something very similar to Violet's fighting style, but hints of Silver flared every now and then. He grabbed last bandit's head and brought it down to his knee, knocking him out in a brutal fashion.

Shiranui could tell things would go south if nothing changed. He needed to find a way to cripple the trio enough to gain the upper hand. He sneered as he came up with an idea and a target.

Ghost watched his sister and his friend but changed his sights to Shiranui. The faunus was the heart and brain of this conflict. If he wanted this to end, taking out the enemy leader was the most simplistic, but best strategy Ghost thought of. He didn't hesitate as he charged for Shiranui with ice dust pulsing from the Purgatory's palm. The direct path to Ghost had the three bandits in his way. Two of them had no weapons because their guns were damaged beyond repair by the cold and the third had a chain with a mechanical sickle-gun. The bandit twirled the weapon around before lashing at Ghost, only for his blade to go into Ghost's chest and through his back. He ran toward Shiranui with Spectre activated so nothing would stand in his way. Ghost phased through the three startled bandits as they tried to hit him. The two without weapons resorted to punching him as he came their way, but it amounted to nothing as he ran by without giving them a second thought.

With nothing else in his way, Ghost continued his path to Shiranui as the fox faunus noticed his approach. The fox faunus wasn't afraid of his enemy. He remembered his last encounter with Ghost and how he almost killed him before others intervened. He may have had the advantage back then because of a surprise attack, but Shiranui still remembered the weakness of his semblance. Discretely grabbing a smoke bomb with his left hand, Shiranui let them go off around him, creating a smokescreen so no one could see him. Ghost, unfazed and unrelenting, jumped into the smoke and slammed Purgatory into the ground with the ice dust surging and freezing the ground around him and creating small spires of ice to change the terrain. The smoke was still in the area, but the fox faunus was not.

Some of the smoke collected above an unsuspecting Ghost and reformed into Shiranui who had his blaster rifle aimed at Ghost's back. With both hands keeping the weapon steady, he fired three bolts at Ghost and they all hit their mark. Even with Spectre making his body intangible, electricity was the only thing that could still hit him. Clenching his teeth as the pain surged, Ghost got down to one knee. He was about to turn to find Shiranui, but he was struck again by the lantern-whip crackling with lightning dust. The whip stung, but what came next was the lantern with lightning and fire surging inside. When it struck his back, the two elements were unleashed with volatile force. Thankfully, his aura took all the damage, but it was no longer protecting him. Constantly using his Spectre has finally caught up with him. Ghost fell to his hands and knees in pain, realizing his aura was no longer active. Shiranui transformed to smoke again, seeing this as the moment he was waiting for.

The explosion from his lantern-whip was hard not to notice. It drew Silver and Bianca's attention and the latter were deeply worried for her brother. She aimed her Archangels at her brother's aggressor, but Shiranui already changed to smoke. Silver rushed to provide his best friend with cover and Bianca did as well, but they were no longer in sync. They were scrambling, desperate to save their ally, and the enemy took complete control.

A chain wrapped around Silver's neck, surprising him a great deal as well as the sickle at the end of the chain that stabbed his shoulder, only damaging his aura. The bandit with the chain sickle cackled as he and his two cohorts pulled on the chain as hard as they could, choking Silver. With so much chaos going on, Bianca ran to her brother without knowing the danger Silver was in. The gunslinger had his hands on the chain wrapped around him to loosen it while it was being pulled. He couldn't use his semblance to increase mass. It wouldn't change the situation. If anything, the bandits would yank harder and choke him out. Aura protected the wielder from damage, but not from suffocation.

Silver thought about it and wondered what would happen if he lightened himself. A plan formulated in his head. Probably a bad one. He grasped he was making a huge gambit, but if nothing changed, he was going to die. Silver used Gravity to make his body as light as he could and the bandits yanked on the chain. Their combined force pulled Silver towards them. He flew past the stunned bandits and reached his destination, the huge hole on the fourth floor. When his body was over the hole, he activated Gravity again and made his body heavy, immediately falling down Concordia. This happened so fast that the bandits watched in confusion, forgetting they were still holding onto the chain. All three of them were pulled out of the building with Silver and their collective screaming got Bianca's attention who only saw them fall with no sign of Silver. She understood what happened and was about to call out to him, but was distracted by Shiranui.

"Gah!" Ghost shouted as Shiranui stood above him with the blaster rifle aimed at his back.

The fox faunus was firing several rounds at his downed opponent. Losing Silver on her right and Ghost being assaulted on her left, there were too much happening on both sides of Bianca. She was struggling on what to do until she snapped with the Ravager being the object of her fury.

Ghost was laying on the ground as he felt his back being scorched by the lightning rounds shot at his backside. The battle was truly against him. Shiranui's semblance made him too difficult to attack and his endless barrage of bullets was shocking him to no end. Ghost just needed a moment when he didn't have his weapon or use of his semblance to end this, but he knew the fox faunus was the craftiest Ravager. His wishes were easier said than done.

Shiranui was hoping to shock Ghost to death, but he found his enemy possessed great fortitude and willpower. It was impressive but it wouldn't last forever. He aimed the blaster rifle at Ghost for another shot, but a knife flew toward him and hit the hand holding the blaster rifle. The sudden attack disarmed the fox faunus and he looked to Bianca with one of her Archangels aimed at him. She launched the bayonet to grab his attention and stop his merciless assault of her brother. Her eyes were filled with pain and rage. Too much was going on around her and she needed to let all those emotions loose. Luckily for her, Shiranui was the only enemy left standing.

She activated Stardust and the shining particles created in her hair and around her body flew of her person and flew to Ghost and Shiranui's location. The latter grabbed three more smoke bombs and dropped them by his feet. They went off before the Stardust could reach him. Ghost, free from Shiranui's repeated shots, rose as fast as he could to his knees and turned to cut his enemy down, but he missed by a hair as Shiranui turned to smoke once again. Bianca spread her particles throughout the area and she used her aura to create more, filling the entire floor. The only space that was free of any Stardust was the area where Ghost was sitting.

Bianca walked to him and placed her hand on his back to check how badly he was injured. His backside was badly burned from the lightning blast and it was obvious scars would remain after proper healing. Ghost still felt the lingering pain as he sat on the ground. It was annoying and frustrating at the same time. He wanted to take Shiranui down and the feeling was mutual. With her brother vulnerable and Silver gone, Bianca wanted to kill someone. She waited for the smoke from the smoke bombs to dissipate to strike.

Shiranui was in a bad situation. There was nothing he could do without leaving himself open to attack. He observed Bianca's semblance and knew how it functioned. With the entire floor full of the particles, there was no way he could avoid getting hit by it and he needed to return to his physical body to harm them. Not only that but remaining in smoke form has been draining his aura and he's been doing it a lot. He couldn't keep this up forever.

The sound of an explosion and the rumbling could be heard on the fifth floor. Shiranui knew Grayson's battle was already underway and he needed to be there to protect his leader and best friend. The echoes of conflict were heard by Bianca and Ghost and it sparked an idea in Ghost's mind.

Fighting through the pain spreading through his back, Ghost stood on his own two feet and started walking to the door leading to the fifth floor. Bianca did wonder why he was walking away from the fight, but she immediately understood what her brother was doing and left him to his plan. Shiranui noticed Ghost while still in smoke form and realized Grayson was in danger of being overwhelmed. He couldn't allow that to happen no matter the cost to himself.

Bianca saw it; the smoke form of Shiranui flying toward her brother. The smoke took the form of a monster fox as Shiranui began to reform to his true form and Bianca already had ice dust seething from her glove. She snapped her fingers. The particles filling the entire fourth floor began to transform into a flurry of ice that started to move violently until it was a blizzard. The freezing wind was everywhere, save for Bianca and Ghost as they watch Shiranui transition to faunus form. As he does, the blizzard began to freeze his body and slow his movements. It was too late to transform back into smoke as he felt his body freeze over. In a last-ditch effort to fight back, Shiranui unleashed his lantern-whip and Ghost, but it was too far away to hit its mark. With his arms too cold to move forward, the lantern fell to the ground in front of Ghost and the cold winds made the blue flame in the lantern die out.

Shiranui was motionless and partially covered in ice. He was helpless. Ghost and Bianca took no pity on him. The half-siblings ran toward the fox faunus from front and back.

Slash! Slash!

Shiranui was cut by Ghost's Purgatory and Bianca's Archangels. The ice covering his body shattered and he fell to his knees. The brother-sister team stood above him, waiting to see his next move. His aura was extremely low. There was not much he could do. He lost this battle; however, he didn't concede the war. In a desperate attempt, Shiranui activated his semblance one last time. He transformed to smoke and swiftly flew out of the large hole on the fourth floor. His goal was to regroup with Grayson so they could fight together. Bianca and Ghost watched him flee and the former had her Archangels aimed at him.

Passing through the hole on the fourth floor, Shiranui shifted from smoke to flesh against his own wishes. He ran out of aura to fuel his semblance so he resorted to scaling Concordia the old fashion way. He flung his lantern-whip out onto a ledge on the fifth floor and it wrapped around the corner, securing his hold. Shiranui had a life-line to his leader, to the person he considered his closest friend. The fox faunus began to climb his weapon like a rope until he felt sudden pain on his backside and was knocked back into the fourth floor. He slammed onto the icy floor and skidded across it until he laid motionless. Bianca and Ghost were confused why their enemy came flying back in defeat until the heard someone speak.

"And the fox hunting comes to an end!" The siblings looked to the hole where the voice came from and they were both shocked with what they saw. "Hey, guys. Anyone shed a tear when I fell?"

* * *

 _The robot activated Gravity and did the same move Silver did, it stayed in place as the wind blew past both of them. Silver was too stunned at what he just saw to counter the upward slash he got from the glaive and because Gravity was still in effect, so his body remained in place as he took two more strikes. Before Silver could do retaliate, the robot fiercely grabbed him by the arm and activated Gravity again, but he took it even further by overriding Silver's Gravity with his own, making Silver extremely light, then tossed him highly in the air._

 _"He-He's using my semblance! And he's better at it than I am!" Silver thought as he soared through the air. The robot then began to levitate in the air without the use of its disabled thrusters, then ascended in the air moving toward Silver. The robot used Gravity to remove gravity's effect on its body entirely, allowing it to fly. Silver watched something else use his semblance at a level he could never attain._

 _"I...I can't do that," Silver thought_

* * *

On the other side of the massive hole was Silver and he was finally accomplishing what he has been training to do for over two years after seeing Romulus/Alpha use his semblance at an upgraded level. Silver was floating in the middle of the air. He was not slowing his descent and his body was emitting the silver light he used to have when activating his semblance and only shows when he used an advanced technique. Silver was using the most advanced technique he knew.

Silver was flying! He was finally hovering in the air through his own efforts. He stayed outside Concordia for a few more moments before gliding back into the room with the others who were completely shocked by the evolution of his semblance.

* * *

 _The membrane of shield released the Alpha from being frozen in place then it expanded to its more familiar sphere form that destroyed the ice as it expanded. The Alpha was no longer frozen but still trapped in the structure of ice but not for too long as it teleported out of there leaving nothing but an empty husk of ice._

 _"Uh... can he do that?" Ghost asked aloud._

 _"I think he just did," Silver commented._

* * *

"Can he...do that?" Ghost asked his sister, still in disbelief.

"I think he just did?" Bianca answered with shock and relief. She walked over to Silver and Ghost eyed Shiranui.

Silver looked over at Bianca when she came and flashed a know-it-all smile. He was full of himself, but she could admit she loved that about him. Even in a dangerous situation like this, Silver could find a way to seem like he has everything under control.

"You finally learned to fly…" she said as an ice breaker. She didn't know how else to start it.

"Heh…not really. I wouldn't call it flying. The most I can do is hover and glide. Can't fly upward yet, but it's still a pretty big step, right?" Silver asked her.

Bianca wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. He was surprised. She didn't like showing her feelings like this during a mission. It was finally hitting Bianca. Silver could've died if he hadn't figured out how to hover and the realization hit her fast. The same could be said with Ghost in this battle. She didn't want to lose him or her brother. They were too important to her. It didn't need to be said by the boys, but the feeling was mutual. Silver responded in kind and hugged Bianca.

His back was killing him, but Shiranui managed to open his eyes and stay conscious. He raised his head to see what was going on around him, but the moment he tried to move, a gauntlet slammed him back down on the frosty ground. Ghost knelt down beside the fox faunus with an intense stare. He brought Purgatory to Shiranui's neck and clamped down.

"It's over. The Ravagers are done," he said as he tightened his hold and he kept his eyes on his sister and best friend. His sight and action didn't waver even when he heard the gasps for breath from the fox faunus. He had no mercy for him, not after everything the Ravagers did to them. The destruction they caused robbed them of their home and of people they loved.

 _"This is for Sterling,"_

Shiranui felt the life being choked out of him. He was starting to lose consciousness as his heart began to beat slower and slower. Shiranui started to see his life flash before his eyes. He remembered how he met Grayson and fought for him. Even on the verge of death, Grayson was still one of, if not the, most important person to Shiranui. The fox faunus was at death's door and all he had with him was one regret.

 _"I'm sorry I couldn't help make your dream come true,"_

Shiranui of the Ravagers passed away.

When he felt like the job was done, Ghost release his hold on the corpse's throat then stood despite the pain. He sauntered over to the others to be with them and revel in their victory. That feeling was cut short when Ghost noticed someone new. This person was flying outside of Concordia and staring at them with conflicted eyes. Ghost didn't know what was going on and the other two didn't notice until Ghost spoke to the unexpected person.

"Why are you here?"

Silver and Bianca broke from their hug and turned around. The duo was utterly shocked with who they saw and Silver had the same question Ghost had. Bianca didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but Silver had a feeling it was bad.

"Why do you guys always show up when we least expect you?" Silver remarked.

With his large, brown and black wings, flying in the air was their former teammate; Blood.

* * *

 **After so many chapters and attempts, Silver finally takes to the sky, even if it's only gliding. He can use Gravity to jump high in the air then move around in any direction but up. He'll gradually descend to the ground as he moves. He hasn't achieved flight yet.**


	25. Where It All Started: Climax

_Saffron put her hand to her chin. "Interesting," she said with intrigue. "You want to create a town that's an amalgam of all the allied settlements."_

 _"Sort of. Nexus will be a settlement that will be the crossroad for all of Vacuo. It will be located somewhere of equal distance to everyone and will support everyone. I asked the leaders of other settlements to lend a hand in helping me build Nexus and have come to a fair agreement. Any neighboring towns that provide Nexus with ten percent of their resources a month will be given protection against threats and refugee should tragedy befall them as did Fortuna. We all come together and support each other."_

 _"Hence the name Nexus," Saffron stated._

 _"It will be a cornerstone that helps with our survival. My newest project and I want to know if you'll help me in this endeavor," Clair said while presenting Saffron with a pen._

 _Saffron smirked, wondering why Clair even had to ask. Virago was a place where women run the show and men are second-class citizens. Such a place isn't seen as favorable to many outside the village and fewer allies can be made with such a place, but Clair was one of the first to become her ally. Dust trading despite the embargo, sending aid whenever needed, being a truly loyal friend, Clair de Lune Vantablack was the definition of the word ally._

 _Saffron signed her name to the paper with no hesitation. It put a smile on Clair's face to see Saffron was going to play a part in the Nexus Project_.

 _"The Nexus Project is truly impressive, but that's nothing compared to the creator. Nothing keeps you down, huh?" Saffron asked impressed with Clair's plan and her ambition._

 _"I can't be wallowing in sorrow forever. No more regretting the past. It's time to choose hope and to start believing in a brighter future._

 _Walking down the hall to her father's throne room, Violet made a solemn vow; no matter what plans he had for her, she would defy him every step of the way. Her times and experience with Team VRSZ proved she could handle pretty much anything thrown her way. Violet vowed to fight. She vowed to ruin whatever plans her father had in store, and if anything, choose to hope, hope to live for herself in this crazy household and not kneel to anyone._

 _Remus Cobalt, Silver Synch, and Zelts Allister were getting tired of waiting. They wanted to reach Atlas now to reach Violet. None of them had any concrete proof that she was there. They took this information from Platinum about Carabosse's original plan before her demise, so this was a massive guess. Whether Violet was alive or not was also up for debate, but that thought didn't cross their minds, not even once. The three of them were choosing hope, hope that Violet Tulipe was somewhere waiting for them._

* * *

 **Setting: Concordia**

The three battles between both groups were still taking place around and within the former capital building of the City of Thieves. At ground level, Zelts and the Cobalts were fending off all the remaining mercenaries from helping the Ravagers while Silver and the Enforcers were battling Shiranui. At the top floor of the desolate building was the battle between the three leaders. Violet, Clair de Lune Vantablack, and Grayson were in a life-or-death showdown.

After the explosion to the face, Grayson scurried back into his room to properly take the two women down and they followed suit. They rushed in, not caring if he had a trap set, or more accurately, they didn't care. Violet and Clair assumed before they started this crusade that Grayson would do something underhanded in order to escape or kill them. Nothing he planned to do would surprise either of them. They were prepared for anything.

Upon entering the room, Grayson sheathed his grapple-sword and pulled out the second gun he had on his person. With both guns in his hands, he aimed them at the doorway and fired as soon as he saw one hint of Violet and Clair and he saw the latter first. Clair walked through the doorway and Grayson started firing, but he felt a stabbing pain in his chest and left arm before they started freezing over. He was forced to stop firing then felt tremendous force hit the bottom of his jaw, rearing his head back violently and lifting him four feet off the ground. Appearing before him, in a flurry of violet petals, was Violet with her leg stretched up, showing she kicked him.

The first thing the Violent Flower did was activate Invisibility. She entered the room before Clair and threw her ice dust knives at Grayson before he could fire his guns then gave him an uppercut with a kick. This gave Clair and herself a safe entry into the room and Clair the opening she needed. Clair made a small leap toward Grayson while Violet stepped aside. Her pen-sword was already out and she slashed his torso, damaging his aura and making him awkwardly take a few steps back.

Neither girls wanted to give him time to recover, so they continued their assault on the leader of the Ravagers. Violet grabbed one of her kukris and swiftly slashed Grayson's side and did so three more times. Clair stabbed into him with her blade, but his aura protected him from the lethality of her attack. She was waiting for his aura to break apart so she could deal the finishing blow. Grayson fell backward but he quickly placed his hands on the ground and somersaulted to his feet, but not before dropping some of his explosives on the ground. There were about a dozen of them and the duo quickly backed away, but the bombs didn't go off.

 _"Duds?"_ Violet thought before she felt a fist slam into her stomach.

As Violet and Clair backed away from the bombs, Grayson used his decoy to close the distance and counterattack. He landed a solid punch on Violet then turned his attention to Clair, delivering a backhand to her face with a smack that knocked her back.

Violet recovered somewhat and swung her kukri at Grayson but he parried with the gun in his right hand then aimed the one in his second hand at her face. She quickly lowered her head while simultaneously kicking Grayson's arm upward with a kick, making the gunshot hit the ceiling. Violet regained ground and attempted to strike him again with her knife only to have her arm blocked by his own. Grayson watched her try to karate chop his arm away with her other hand and he retreated his body, barely avoiding her hand, but being hurt when it passed. He felt the same cutting pain he felt the last time they fought.

 _"Same stupid tricks,"_ he thought as he looked at her hand. He knew she was holding the second kukri and made it invisible. Violet deactivated her semblance, showing he was right.

Despite all the hatred between them, Violet and Grayson knew each other very well.

With both kukris in her hands, Violet activated the dust inside both. The blade on her left was cloaked in flames and the one on her right crackled with lightning. She filled the fourth dust slot in the hilt with lightning dust. She wanted an all-out offensive assault against the Ravagers.

Violet dashed toward Grayson and he had both guns aimed at her until he felt stinging pain behind his back. He forgot that Clair was here as well and she thrust her sword to his back. He turned o her and planned to eliminate her first so he could kill Violet unrestraint. He swiftly elbowed Clair in the gut to stagger her, but instead of doing what he expected, she grabbed his arm with both of hers and kept it close to her body, keeping the gun away from her and holding him in place.

Grayson could hold his own in combat against Violet. Clair was aware of that fact, including the fact that she couldn't beat Grayson on her own, something she was clearly aware of. All her training up till now wasn't enough to make her fight at his level but to make her more competent in combat and assist Violet.

She refused to let go. Clair kept a strong hold on Grayson's arm and yanked him toward her, forcing him to turn from Violet who moved in with her knives and attacked. She brought the flaming kukri down on the gun Grayson parried with earlier and the knife cut deep into the firearm. She quickly twisted then jerked the knife away, breaking the gun into two. In response to losing his weapon, Grayson grabbed a knife from his pocket and jabbed it into Clair's abdomen, or he would've if Violet didn't intercept and parried the knife with the kukri surging with lightning dust. When the two blades came into contact with each other, the lightning traveled through Grayson's knife and started shocking him. Violet unintentionally shocked Clair as well since she was still holding onto their enemy. Seeing she was hurting her friend, Violet pulled her knife away and Grayson used the moment to quickly jump up, bringing his legs up, then kicked both girls in the head while knocking himself away. When he landed on the ground, he got back on his feet and grabbed his reliable grapple-sword from his back.

Violet put the flaming kukri back into its sheath after deactivating the fire dust and grabbed a few throwing knives from her pouch. She threw them at Grayson, aiming for his face, but he took hold of the cable on his sword and used it as a shield, deflecting the knives as they fell to the ground. Keeping his hand on the cable, he started twirling it around with the sword on the end, spinning his grapple-sword like a flail before throwing it at the girls. Clair rolled out of the way and Violet took a side step to avoid the sword that pierced the door behind them. The Violent Flower saw this as her chance to move in close and Clair stayed behind. There was another way she could assist in the fight.

Yanking the sword out of the door, Grayson was retrieving his weapon, but it wouldn't reach his grasp before Violet, so he waited for his sword to reach Violet's backside and cut into her. But she knew his tactics just like he knew her's and she slid down to the ground to avoid the sword and attack Grayson by his feet, but he jumped over her and grabbed his sword when it finally returned to him then immediately swung down. Violet was able to counter with her lightning kukri blocking the sword and lightly electrocuting him before their weapons stop clashing. The two, life-long enemies began a bout of weapons.

Knife met sword several times and each clash shocked Grayson thanks to the lightning dust, but that tactic didn't last forever. The lightning dust was used up after a dozen more shocks, leaving Violet to fend him off normally before pulling out the second kukri. The two of them seemed evenly matched. Neither was backing down or giving the other a single opening. Outside the situation, their battle seemed like a beautiful dance and Violet and Grayson appeared to be the perfect dance partners. They knew each other's moves and the best way to counter them. They've been fighting each other longer than they have anyone else in their lives so the only cooperation they had was when they combat one another. They were great enemies, but this battle will be their last.

Suddenly, the two fighters started to hear singing and they both knew who it was. Clair began singing a ballad about Violet and VRSZ as a whole. She did this while using Songstress. Grayson didn't feel any different, but the same couldn't be said for Violet. She felt revitalized by Songstress and began fighting with great vigor. Grayson felt it. Violet's strikes were getting stronger and delivered faster. He was able to fend off the kukris at first, but she was getting too fast for him to keep up. Violet began mixing in kicks, knee and elbow strikes, and other blows now that she had the upper hand. Knife clashed with sword and Violet quickly spun around to deliver a back fist to Grayson's shoulder then she brought her arm back and punched him hard in the gut with a strong uppercut to his jaw. He retaliated by swing with his sword and Violet sidestepped out of the way and quickly kicked him across the face.

Clair kept Violet's adrenaline pumping, making her move faster while Grayson was moving slower. The fatigue was getting to him and so was the frustration. Grayson took a few steps back to recover from the battle turning one-sided. He gripped his grapple-sword tightly as he kept his eyes on Violet while still hearing Clair sing with her semblance. He knew what he needed to do to turn the tide.

In one fell swoop, Grayson threw a few of his bombs at Violet, forcing her to jump away, and as she did, Grayson tossed his sword directly at Clair to stop her from singing. The former monarch stopped singing and rolled out of the way, landing in front of the door that led to her old bedroom. Violet was moving back as the bombs went off around her and noticed the grapple-sword returning to Grayson. With her flaming kukri, she cut the cable attaching the sword to Grayson's armband before landing beside Clair. Violet started talking to her friend.

He felt the cable snap on the other side of the explosion and waited for Violet to emerge from the smoke his explosion caused. Instead of seeing her approach, Grayson heard the sound of a door opening then closing. He looked to his right to see the doors to the room were wide open and realized it was the door leading to his armory. Grayson was about to pursue them until he noticed there were a lot of his explosives scattered across the floor.

 _"Some of them didn't go off?"_ he thought before he realized this was a trap. He remembered Violet advancing toward him after falling for his decoy ploy and how she slid to reach him. She intentionally did that to swipe all the bombs he didn't set off and kept them on her person until she needed them. She turned his own tactic against him.

"Shit!"

Clair and Violet were behind the door leading to Clair's former bedroom and Violet quickly held her body against it while Clair stood several feet behind her. They had to brace themselves for what was coming.

BOOM!

The door was pushed back and so was Violet. She was knocked into Clair and they both fell to the ground as smoke from the room filled the hallway. Both their aura levels were pretty low but were still protecting them from serious harm. The duo got up and cautiously walked back into the room. It didn't take long for the smoke to clear thanks to the explosion blowing the ceiling and roof of Concordia. Everything in the room was blown apart or destroyed. Everything, except Grayson.

The man was lying on the ground, breathing heavily with burn marks and scorched clothing. He was alive. Clair was surprised he survived while Violet wasn't. His semblance, Vitality, increased his ability to survive plenty of things. She figured he stopped using his aura to shield himself after the explosion so he could use it to fuel his semblance. Eventually, the burn marks would fade and he'd be moving around again, but Violet didn't plan for him to survive. He was defenseless without his aura shielding him. Grayson was trying to get up, doing his best to ignore the excruciating pain, but only managed to lift his upper body. He had his eyes on Violet and Clair as they stared at him.

"Is this the part where we finally end this song and dance, Violet?" he asked in a mocking tone.

Violet didn't say anything. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She came to the City of Thieves…no. She returned to Fortuna to make sure Grayson died, but it was never her goal to be the one to kill him. It was too poetic of an end for him to be killed by his life-long enemy. That honor was given to another.

Clair walked up to Grayson with her pen-sword and the grin on his face vanished. Violet was right: he'd prefer if she delivered the finishing blow over Clair. She won the battle and giving him an unsatisfying death. Clair got down to her knees and perched herself over Grayson, lifting her pen-sword up with both hands and aiming for his chest, the same spot Sterling was impaled.

Silence filled the room as Clair raised her blade over Grayson until the loud sound of an engine could be heard from above. Violet looked up as well as Grayson. Clair stopped her attempted homicide to see what was going on. An airship was flying overhead directly above Concordia. The engine was the only thing any of them could hear as the ship lowered itself next to Concordia until the hull was on the same level as the fifth floor. No one was sure what was going on, but Clair had a guess who owned this airship.

The sounds of feet stepping on metal grew louder and louder as two people appeared above before they jumped into the office building. Clair guessed right and Violet was annoyed and infuriated.

Jumping down into the room with them was Ebony Vantablack and Zinnia Underland. The former had a small grin on her face as her eyes laid on her cousin and the latter watched Violet, checking to see what she would do. A Vantablack and an Underland on opposite sides of the room.

"Long time, no see, cousin," Ebony said as a hello to Clair. She glanced over at Violet and playfully winked at her.

"Why are you here?" Clair asked.

"First, Corona, and now Fortuna! Why are you following us?!" Violet shouted at the Charming Vantablack. Zinnia already had her whip-sword out in case she needed to restrain her cousin.

Ebony didn't answer either question. Instead, she scanned the room they were in. The smile she had never left her face. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"This place is where it all began for me, for all of us, really. It was the start of my journey, the end of your old one, and the beginning of your new story. The end of a storybook is just the beginning of another."

"What are you trying to say?" Clair asked, cautious of her cousin's motives.

Ebony looked at Clair for a minute before briefly eyeing Grayson then turning away. "Nothing. I was just reminiscing. All lot of things happened here and all the characters from that chapter are here. Though, I doubt this will end the same way." The last part was said in an ominous tone Clair and Violet picked up on.

She turned to Clair and Violet with her smile replaced by a neutral expression. It was impossible to read. Zinnia still had her hand on her weapon and her serious face did not break. What Violet learned about the Paragon was this; she did not play games. She knew a fight was coming.

"I'm sorry. I know you all went through a great deal to get this far-"

* * *

Zelts, Azura, and Remus were finishing their battle with the remaining outlaws. The last ones ran away seeing the battle as a hopeless endeavor. The three of them were grateful for the reprieve, but it was cut short when a fireball fell and crashed in front of Concordia's entrance. Zelts and Remus remembered the same act from two days ago.

The flames cleared and standing between the group and Concordia was the lizard faunus known as the King of Flames: Brenton Drake.

Shiranui of the Ravagers passed away.

When he felt like the job was done, Ghost released his hold on the corpse's throat then stood despite the pain. He sauntered over to the others to be with them and revel in their victory. That feeling was cut short when Ghost noticed someone new. This person was flying outside of Concordia and staring at them with conflicted eyes. Ghost didn't know what was going on and the other two didn't notice until Ghost spoke to the unexpected person.

"Why are you here?"

Silver and Bianca broke from their hug and turned around. The duo was utterly shocked with who they saw and Silver had the same question Ghost had. Bianca didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but Silver had a feeling it was bad.

"Why do you guys always show up when we least expect you?" Silver remarked.

With his large, brown and black wings, flying in the air was their former teammate; Blood.

* * *

"-but I can't let you kill Grayson," Ebony declared to Clair.


	26. Howling Winds, Roaring Flames

**Setting: Fortuna**

Every ending is a new beginning; a phrase spoke to explain how the end of something can lead to or bring about something new. An elegant cycle, but it doesn't only represent the good things in life. The situation before Violet and Clair was a prime example.

Together they finally put an end to Grayson and the Ravagers, but it brought about the beginning of a new problem in the form of Ebony and her Champions. The Charming Vantablack stood before her cousin and Violet, declaring Grayson wasn't going to die tonight. This statement confused Clair, Violet, Grayson as well. He wondered if it was because of their old team up or something else entirely. He knew it wasn't because they were friends. He considered himself to be someone who didn't have friends: only subordinates. Still, Grayson considered not dying a good thing.

The confusion of the situation made Clair a little tongue-tied. Why would Ebony protect Grayson? Then again, Violet remembered her last fight with Grayson and how Ebony intervened to stop them from killing each other. She continues to say she's a diplomat, but Violet believes she there's something else she's not telling them. Ebony's plans were never straightforward or single-minded; this was a trait she shared with Clair.

The Violet Flower realizes at this moment that she could never wrap her head around the devious minds of the Vantablack family. They always seemed to be one step ahead of her.

Given a little time to soak this information in, Clair asked, "Why do you want him to live?"

"He only lives for another day. Grayson is going to die, but it's going to be done by someone else's hand," Ebony answered like it was a business meeting.

Violet was perturbed by her answer. She took an abrasive step forward and so did Zinnia. The Paragon was prepared to subdue her if it was necessary.

"And who has a better reason to kill this trash than us?!" she asked harshly.

"People who are stationed a little above myself," Ebony replied in a playful manner, winking at Violet once again to see her angered reaction.

It didn't take Clair two seconds to figure out who she was talking about, yet it was still surprising to hear they wanted Grayson.

"The kingdom of Vacuo," Clair answered Violet's question, but it didn't calm Violet down. The revelation only made her confused and mixing that with anger was never a good thing.

"Always the second smartest one in the room," Ebony complimented and insulted Clair. "Yes, the kingdom of Vacuo hasn't been viewed in the best of lights these past few days, so they decided an execution of Grayson, an important figure in the turmoil, will satisfy their people and make themselves look better."

"To hell with that!" Violet yelled, completely outraged with everything that was being said. "He's been our problem since the beginning! They never stepped in to help us or deal with him after Fortuna fell! And now the kingdom- They don't have the right to kill this bastard! He's ours!" Violet was going ballistic and Ebony grinned at her.

Zinnia took a moment to glance at Ebony. She knew none of this was true. As Ebony's confidant, the Charming Vantablack informed her about her plan. They weren't here on behalf of the kingdom. In fact, the kingdom had no idea they were in Fortuna, but Ebony was telling the truth about them coming here to capture Grayson alive. After retrieving him, she was going to propose the plan to the higher-ups of the kingdom using Charm to transform her lie into the truth.

On the floor below them, Silver, Bianca, and Ghost were met by Blood. The bat faunus was airborne, flying just outside the building and staring at them with cold eyes. He needed to be stern if he planned to follow through with what was about to happen. Seeing his friends again spurred so many heartfelt emotions, but they fell by the wayside when he thought about what he was instructed to do if they defied him.

"Hey, Blood," Silver greeted with an air of caution.

"If you're here, then Ebony's here," Bianca stated, keeping her hand within reach of her guns. However, she hesitated to do so and her potential adversary understood why.

Blood didn't want to do it either, but he was still bound to follow Ebony's demands. If they refused, and Blood knew they would refuse, he'd have to fight the members of the retired Team BASG. He took a deep breath and let Ebony demand known to his former allies.

 _"This is the hardest thing I'll ever have to do,"_

Before he could explain Ebony's word, he noticed flames spreading throughout the ground around Concordia. He figured Brenton gave the group the message and they planned to fight back.

"BULLSHIT!" Azura exclaimed, showing the same irritation as Violet did.

Brenton finished telling her, Remus, and Zelts what Ebony's intentions were and reacted to their answer with fire. After hearing Azura's rejection of the plan, the King of Flames grabbed Oathburner and slashed the ground behind him with the greatsword wreathed in flames, creating a grand wall of fire between himself and Concordia to prevent the trio access.

"It's what she wants, so that's how it's gonna be. Be grateful she willing to help you all clean this problem. Go home and get some well-earned rest. We got-"

Remus sprinted straight toward the lizard faunus and appeared in his personal space, surprising him greatly. With Delta in hand, Remus swung his blade against Brenton only to be blocked by the faunus' larger sword. The force of his attack pushed Brenton back a few centimeters. The lizard faunus didn't plan on getting caught in his own fire so he pushed back, swinging his blade and repelling his aggressor. As quickly as Remus flipped backward and landed on the ground, Azura ran past him to continue their assault. She approached him from the side and kicked Brenton's sword. It was a weak attack, Brenton thought, but then he felt a sudden shockwave from after the impact. Azura's Pulse knocked Brenton away, moving him from the flames he created, but they didn't die out.

 _"Those strong flames were not under his control,"_ Azura summarized.

The surprise attack made him lose his footing and he tumbled on the ground for a few seconds before regaining his balance, standing back up, and seeing Remus and Azura come after him a second time. With the gun chamber of Oathburner, Brenton cloaked his blade in flames. The first strike came from Remus who clashed swords with him and Azura came in after her cousin, smacking her elemental staff against the greatsword. Brenton was able to hold his own against both of them even though their combined might pushed him back across the area and then he unleashed the flames surrounding his weapon. The fire around his sword shot outward violently, burning and knocking the Cobalt warriors away before they fell to the scorched ground.

With his aggressors subdued, the lizard faunus made his way back to Concordia, however, a gust of violent wind blew by, forcing him to bring his arm up to protect his eyes from the incoming sand. When the wind died down, Brenton looked ahead to see Zelts standing between him, the two Cobalts, and Concordia.

The Knight of the Wind and the King of Flames. The two elementals stood before each other.

"Move," Brenton demanded. Zelts was breathing heavily, exhausted from all the battling they had to do tonight, but he didn't reply or budge from his position. Neither of them backed down.

"Have it your way," Brenton replied before aiming Oathburner at Zelts and the two Cobalts getting up behind him.

One pull of the trigger and a powerful torrent of flame came hurdling toward the three of them. Zelts swung his wingblades around to stir the wind around him, creating a vortex to shield the others and himself from the incoming fire. He succeeded in repelling the fire, but not the way he expected. When the flames came in contact with the wind it was carried by the vortex and flew upward, shooting out destructively and creating an enormous amount of heat. They lit the desolate city with its bright light and they didn't harm any of them, but Zelts knew this wasn't good for them.

The winds he created only fanned the flames, making them stronger. Oathburner was the worst type-matchup for Heart of Gold. If Zelts wanted to overcome Brenton's flames, he needed to unleash wind strong enough to make the fire die out, but that was easier said than done. He was already exhausted, the best way to overpower him was with Conversion and Zelts knew from experience Brenton's fire can be much hotter than they are now. He wasn't even trying. Zelts knew he was at a massive disadvantage.

Once again, Brenton released another blast of flames and Zelts repelled them the same way. The fire rose and spread. Zelts was sweating greatly from the heat while Brenton wasn't fazed by the rising inferno, unlike the Cobalt warriors behind Zelts. They watched in amazement at the battle before them. Two powerful forces of nature were fighting and it was something to behold.

"Incredible," Azura said under her breath, not knowing she actually said it. Remus remained silent behind her. He looked to Concordia where the others were and figured they were battling as well.

 _"That's where I need to be,"_

Brenton glanced a Remus walking away and fired again. The third torrent of flame came and Zelts created another vortex to deflect it, but this was weaker than the others. The fire eclipsed it and spread around him, much to his shock. "Look out!" he cried to the others.

In an instant, the fire spread across the entire area, scorching the sand beneath and burning the surrounding buildings, and blocking Remus from Concordia. Getting to the others was not going to be easy. Remus, Azura, and Zelts took note at the change in the area. The fire was everywhere, the ground was burned and scorched, and smoke was filling the sky above. This was the devastation Brenton Drake could unleash now that he wasn't tied down to Royal.

 _"Sorry, I have a job to do,"_ Brenton thought to himself as he activated his semblance. The flames on his sword changed from orange to blue as his body and weapon surged with power from Boost.

Zelts was worried the battle would end in disaster if he didn't use the full power of his semblance. He activated Conversion, absorbing all the dust woven into his clothing. His body was dragging. He's been fighting all night. Zelts couldn't keep this battle going for long.

Golden winds and azure flames clashed.

On the fourth floor, Blood flew into the room too fast for Silver or Bianca to properly react and he jabbed both of them in the gut before kicking Ghost in the jaw.

 _"Stay down,"_ he pleaded to them in his head. They refused to let Ebony win, so keeping them from interfering was the next step. He just wished they stopped right now, but he knew his friends too well.

Silver and Bianca recovered from their hits and retaliated quickly by striking him with their guns instead of their fists or feet. Blood blocked them guns with his arms and Bianca followed up with a roundhouse kick to his leg to make him kneel, however, Blood opened his large wings, knocking her and Silver away from him. As they were in the air from the knockback, Bianca and Silver had the same reaction to pull out their guns and shoot Blood who quickly took flight above his original standing point. When the bullets struck the ground, they created ice that covered the area. Blood understood what they were trying to do because he wanted the same thing. Both sides wanted to end this fight as quickly and less painfully as possible.

Neither of them wanted this fight.

Ghost aimed Purgatory at Blood and unleashed a bolt of lightning at him, but the bat faunus flew out of the way while heading towards his pale-complexioned friend. Face to face with Blood, Ghost realized he was outmatched with his aura depleted. He swung first, but Blood countered by grabbing his arm and tossing it away, turning Ghost's body away from him and Blood unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, damaging and slowing his body's movements with every blow until he slammed his fist against the left side of Ghost's head. That was the final hit he could take. Ghost collapsed slowly thanks to Blood's Paralysis.

Blood didn't say anything, but he looked at Ghost on the ground with sorrowful eyes. He really didn't want to do this.

His regret was cut short when he noticed shining particles were coming into his field of vision. He knew Bianca was going to fight back now that her brother was taken down. It gave her a reason to face Blood with more resolve.

Her face was slightly miffed with the defeat of her brother. Deep down, Bianca knew Blood didn't mean to hurt Ghost and tried to do as little damage as possible, but at the same time, she never liked it when opponents messed with her brother.

She controlled the Stardust particles so they spiraled around Blood, obscuring his vision and making sure he was the only one affected by her attack. The shining cyclone was beautiful, but the sight was ruined when Blood flew past it and soared toward Bianca and Silver. She fired upon him when he made his way to her and she was able to hit him three times before he clotheslined her before heading toward the outside of Concordia. Silver ducked then saw Bianca fall on her backside from the strong attack.

 _"How are we gonna hold him down?"_ Silver thought as he looked outside where Blood was flying out of their reach.

The distance he created gave the bat faunus time to evade their bullets and Silver would be able to use Gravity and glide to him. Even if he did, there was no way he could concentrate on staying airborne and face Blood in aerial combat. The flying man had the time to avoid them as well as keep them from reaching Violet and Clair.

 _"Come on, couldn't he fight Remus instead? That's kind of the recurring thing with Blood,"_ Silver complained in his head until he noticed a change in the battlefield. The sand below was covered in an amazing blaze of blue fire. It began to surround the Concordia building along with the rest of the area. Silver and Blood turned their heads to the spire of blue flame and massive golden gales in one area. Blood knew Brenton was battling Zelts while Silver came up with a crazy idea.

The heat from the fires below was incredibly intense and they lit Fortuna with a mixture of blue and orange light. It was intimidating, but Silver thought he could use it to his advantage. He leaped off the building and activated Gravity to make himself as light as possible. He fell straight down, reaching the flames until his body rose into the air and he soared in the air just like Blood. He propelled himself toward his opponent who was still distracted from the other battle and smacked him in the face with Fenrir as escrima sticks, pushing him into the building across from Concordia.

Shaking his head, Blood looked to see what hit him and he found Silver hovering in the air. To say he was surprised was an understatement. "What the-"

Silver gave him no time to reprieve. He moved toward Blood and rose above him to slam his sticks down on the bat faunus, but Blood was able to stretch his hands out and grab the weapons before they hit. His body was so light from his semblance, Blood could easily toss Silver around, but the gunslinger decided to stop flying and start falling. He used his semblance to change from very light to very dense and the weight of his body was too much for Blood to lift and they both began to fall to the sea of fire beneath them.

Bianca got back up but her aura was very low thanks to that hit. Another blow like that would deplete the last of her aura. She walked to the destroyed wall and saw Silver and Blood falling into the fire below. She watched in suspense to see what would happen. Bianca doubted fighters of their caliber would meet their end so quickly.

The flames were getting closer and closer as they plummeted. Blood looked behind him to see how close they were to the fiery ground. They were getting too close for his liking. Shifting his body weight, Blood maneuvered to his right to get from under Silver then punched him in the mouth before he fell further down. Despite their battle, Blood didn't want Silver to die. Blood was about to fly down and grab his friend until he saw Silver fall then rise into the air again, rising past him as the gunslinger shifted his sticks to guns. He unleashed a hail of gunfire and Blood flew around the bullets while keeping his distance from Silver. He flew upward till he was at Silver's level. Blood looked at Silver then glanced at the flames below.

"So, that's how you're doing it," Blood said aloud so Silver could hear.

The Silver-Tongued Gunslinger smirked. "Pretty smart, right?"

"Honestly, it is," Blood admitted with a small smile.

With Gravity allowing him to glide combined with the heat from the fires below, Silver was able to rise upward and stay there. It was like fire in a hot air balloon. Like Silver said, it was a smart tactic, except, he left out the part about him doubting it would work. It was a gambit he was glad he won. Unfortunately, he couldn't do this forever. Silver began to realize gliding and maintaining it drained a lot of his aura. Once it was gone, he'd fall straight down. Plus, while he was the best acrobat and aerial combatant on VRSZ, Blood was still more experienced than him in the sky.

 _"Hehehe… I can't beat him, but maybe I don't have to,"_ Silver thought as he turned to look at the building behind him. He smirked.

He aimed Fenrir at Blood and fired a round of fire dust from both guns. The explosive shots reached Blood who brought his arms and wings up to protect himself but saw that Silver wasn't where he was a second ago. The recoil from the explosive bullets pushed Silver away and to the side of Concordia. He turned around and used Gravity to stand vertically onto the building then he ran up. Silver needed to get to the fifth floor to help Violet and before his aura runs out.

This ploy astonished Blood. He didn't expect it, but it didn't stop him from completing his duty. He flew as fast as he could to Silver. He was unrivaled when in aerial speed. Blood reached Silver in just a few seconds, both fighters almost reached the fifth floor, but Silver felt two fists impact his back with tremendous force. He already felt his aura fading from his body. He was done.

 _"Dammit. So close,"_ he thought before he started falling until Blood grabbed his wrist.

Blood carried his friend back to the fourth floor with Ghost and Bianca, though the conflict in his heart was quite prevalent tonight. Facing his friends was a difficult thing for him to do, but he needed to do this. He needed to hold up his side of Ebony's promise.

He lowered himself to the fourth floor and gracefully placed Silver on the ground. The gunslinger was awake and he chuckled to himself. "Can't believe this," he said with disappointment in his voice.

"I'm sorry, but it has to be this way," Blood replied.

"Not that," Silver corrected and he started smirking, "I can't believe you only focused on me left Bianca to do whatever she wanted."

The realization hit Blood as he scanned the entire fourth floor. Bianca was gone. She wasn't here which meant she was on the fifth floor with the others. Silver was the distraction the whole time. He was duped. Blood rushed out of the building and took to the sky again. He looked up and was ready to rise until he noticed a body falling from the fifth floor. Someone he knew.

Blood caught Clair de Lune Vantablack falling off her own building.


	27. Dawn of a New Day

**Setting: Fortuna**

Fortuna, the settlement once known for its mysteries push and pull with fortune was set ablaze with flames of blue, orange, and green. From a distance, it was as beautiful as it was destructive. The fires continued to spread from their origin point as the clash of wind and flame continued and the wielders of these elements were locked in combat. Brenton Drake and Zelts Allister continued creating fire and wind respectively to engage one another. However, the battle was started to take its toll on Zelts.

The blue flames were immensely hot and difficult to counter, even with the full power of Conversion, but his golden wind was able to hold its own against the inferno. The tornadoes Zelts created didn't fan the blue flames. They were scattered and spread all over the battlefield as it began reaching every corner of the settlement. The electrical within the full power tornadoes that came in contact with the flames caused multiple, small explosions to go off in the air, lighting the night sky above them. It was like an intense battle with fireworks and pyrotechnics. The multiple clashes told both fighters their strength was equal as well as their destructive capabilities, unfortunately, Zelts was exhausted. He's been fighting for so long that he couldn't match Brenton anymore.

He flexed his arms and swung his wingblades again, but the next whirlwind he created was significantly smaller and weaker than the last one. Brenton aimed Oathburner at Zelts and fired another powerful blast at him. The fire consumed the wind, making it bigger as it continued toward Zelts who couldn't do anything but combine his wingblades back into a shield and buckle behind it. The torrent of flame hit the shield and consumed the area in a fire for a few seconds before dying out. Zelts was still behind the shield which was scorched, but he was sweating and overheated. He let go of his Heart of Gold. He couldn't hold onto it anymore. Zelts fell over into the burning sand with soot all over his body. His aura was intact, but it didn't protect him from lethargy.

His opponent was taken down. Brenton lowered his large blade and deactivated Boost. His eyes changed from solid red back to their normal color and the aura he exuded dissipated. There was no longer a reason to use his semblance. He needed to make sure Zelts wasn't badly injured or worse. Brenton wanted to make sure he didn't kill the VRSZ member. Another thing that separated him from his former liege was his lack of bloodlust. He had no desire to kill people simply because he could, even though his abilities were so destructive. In a way, Brenton and Zelts had that mindset in common.

As Brenton approached Zelts as he laid on the ground, the defeated knight was breathing heavily, lifting his head to see the lizard faunus come this way.

 _"The sand is so hot. It hurts just to lay here… Ah- too tired to get up. Can't even lift my shield, or a finger. I can't do anything else. The rest is up to you guys. Finish the job,"_ Zelts thought as he closed his eyes to rest as much as he could.

Brenton continued his walk to Zelts to inspect his condition, but something unexpected appeared in front of him. Out of nowhere, a fog of blue smoke came into existence in front of Brenton, obscuring his vision and leaving him surprised. The smoke began to disperse, but not before the King of Flames felt someone deliver an uppercut to his chin. As the smoke vanished, two figures could be seen in the thick of it. Remus stood with Delta in his right hand with his other hand on Azura's back and Azura was in front of her younger cousin, giving Brenton the blow to his chin. At the moment of impact, Azura activated Pulse. Brenton felt himself get punched then felt the powerful shockwave that came afterward. The burst from her aura sent Brenton flying and he crashed into a building, breaking through the second-floor window. Azura looked at her handiwork with a big smile.

"That was satisfying," she remarked with an evil glint in her eye. Her triumphant stance didn't last long as she fell to her knees. She was reaching her limit and she poured what was left of her aura into that shockwave. She started to feel the sand around them burn her legs. It wasn't harmful, just annoying.

Moments after he crashed into a random building, a tower of flame was unleashed in the building, blowing away all debris that on top of and surrounding Brenton. He stood back up and activated Boost a second time. He jumped from the second floor of the building, landed in the sand, then started to approach the Cobalts. The man known as the King of Flames and Dragon marched forward to continue the fight.

"You still got aura left?" she asked her cousin.

"Not a lot. I can probably only use Checkpoint one more time," Remus admitted. His breathing was heavier as well. Fighting hordes of enemies would drain anyone.

"Then make it count," Azura told him.

 **Several Minutes Earlier**

On the fifth floor of Concordia, Violet made it clear she wasn't going give Ebony what she wanted. The Violent Flower threw five fire Enigmas at Ebony, but none of them hit their mark. Ebony brought out Trois Reines while Zinnia extended her whip-sword, deflecting all the knives and sending them upward where the exploded above all of them.

Violet charged for her cousin, knowing she was the only real obstacle in her way. She grabbed a kukri from its sheath. Zinnia raced to meet her relative as she retracted her whip-sword to make it whole. Metal struck metal she the two women engaged in combat. Purple eyes stared into golden eyes and vice versa. Violet took a step back and leaped high into the air while grabbing a three Enigmas from her bag. She threw them at Zinnia who dashed ahead, avoiding the throwing knives that landed behind her and ice spires formed when they hit the ground. Zinnia, now below an airborne Violet, shot out the whip of her weapon to strike from beneath except Violet was able to move her body to the left before the weapon could connect. She had two more Enigmas in her left hand, but Zinnia yanked her whip-sword's hilt to the left and the body of her weapon followed suit. Violet was hit by the segmented sword's sudden lashing and she landed on the top of the wall where the ceiling and roof once was. The Violent Flower saw her opening as the whip-sword was still stretched out after that attack and she threw her two throwing knives at Zinnia. The composure of the Paragon remained neutral as she shot the blade out of her wrist weapon and swung it at the knives before they could harm her. She deflected them again then aimed the wrist weapon's gun barrel at Violet. She fired two bolts of lightning dust at Violet who flipped backward to avoid them, maintaining her balance on the top of the wall. Zinnia followed Violet's lead and jumped up to the top of the wall to continue her duel with her cousin.

Zinnia was a better fighter than Violet. She knew this when she was brought back to Atlas against her will where she witnessed and experienced her cousin in combat. The struggle they just had solidified this belief. Violet knew Zinnia was stronger, faster, and better in several other categories. Zinnia kicked Violet in the face, hitting her right cheek though the blow wasn't enough to make her yield her momentum. After the kick, Violet lifted Zinnia's leg up with her right hand, putting the Paragon off balanced, then stepped in and punched Zinnia in the face.

Zinnia was better than Violet, but the Violent Flower learned the gap between them wasn't vast. She could stand in the ring with her cousin.

This display of high-level combat captivated the others. Clair watched with amazement while Ebony was merely amused like it was a big game. The third person, Grayson, surveyed the situation around him. The time between both teams' encounter gave him the time to recover a little from the previous battle. None of them were paying attention to him. If timed right, Grayson could escape. He could live. Violet, Ebony, and Zinnia were around him, but they weren't his priority. The mercenary eyed the most troublesome one; Clair de Lune.

Completely occupied with the intense fight between the Lady of Nexus was caught by surprise when she felt her throat get his hard. Grayson chopped Clair's throat and she grabbed it as she desperately gasped for air. Released from her pin, Grayson kicked her off of him, knocking her on her backside and he rushed to where his sword was.

His actions didn't go unnoticed. Ebony looked their way when she heard Clair choking. She watched Grayson reach for his weapon with urgency but she wasn't going to let him escape or have any role to play in this situation. She took her weapon's scabbard, which was also a gun, then aimed it at Grayson. She fired, shooting his left leg and the shot blasted off some flesh. Blood splattered the ground and wall while Grayson fell to the ground. He did, however, grab his weapon and planned to fight for his life.

Ebony refrained from firing again, putting her scabbard rifle away. If her plan were to succeed, she needed him alive. In a way, she was glad Clair was away from his person. As part of her promise to Blood, Ebony couldn't harm her cousin in any way, no matter how little it was. She had no intention of harming Clair, but keeping her away from Grayson would be difficult. A confrontation was bound to ensue and she would only be able to be on the defensive.

Grayson had his sword and tried to stand on his two feet but the task was painful after being shot in the leg. He was bleeding was putting any weight on his left leg sent pain throughout his body. He resorted to putting his sword's blade on the ground as a support. He eyed Ebony, pissed that she shot him, but he turned to Clair who was on the ground and recovering from his attack.

 _"If she opens her mouth, I'm done,"_ he thought as he trudged to Clair with the intent to kill.

Ebony's eyes widened slightly when she figured out Grayson's motives. He hardly had the strength to move but continued with his pursuit. They were opposite sides, but the Charming Vantablack didn't want her cousin to die. She quickly moved in to attack while Grayson raised his blade to kill Clair. Ebony grabbed her sword and extended the hilt to transform it into its spear form and extend her reach. The tip of her spear clashed with the sword before it could reach Clair. Ebony swatted Grayson's sword away then followed up by flipping her weapon to hit her enemy with the opposite end of her weapon, knocking Grayson back into a wall where he slid to the ground. That hit to the ribs really hurt.

Trois Reines' blade was aimed at his neck. "You're coming with me," Ebony said with a winning smile.

Grayson glared at her but they were both shocked with what came next. Clair came between them and used her pen-sword to smack Ebony's spear away from Grayson. "He's mine! Don't get in my way!"

The wounded mercenary's eyes shifted between both Vantablacks. He didn't know what was going to happen. Clair stayed her ground against Ebony who looked at her with a stern expression. "Stay. Down. Clair." She brought her weapon back to Grayson's neck.

Her warning was intimidating, but it had no effect on Clair who was too enraged and too close to her goal to back down. Swiftly, Clair brought her pen-sword up and used it to attack Ebony who parried with her the pole of her spear. Her attempt was a little shocking but not entirely surprising. Ebony knew this would happen even if it wasn't what she wanted. Again, and again, Clair struck Ebony relentlessly and the Charming Vantablack refused to fight back. She only blocked each strike while walking backward as Clair advanced. She found this unnecessary and vexing.

 _"Dealing with her is going to take too long,"_ Ebony thought as she took steps back.

The threat of both women was slowly going away and Grayson couldn't be more grateful. He saw his window to finally escape. He slowly made his way to the office door, but another obstacle came his way. Zinnia backhanded Violet then kicked her off the wall, landing in front of the office door. Violet was on the ground where her aura finally fell apart. She groaned as she got up and noticed the situation around her; Clair attacking Ebony and Grayson standing a few feet away from her.

The two long-time enemies shared silent looks for a brief moment before Zinnia jumped down to meet them with a stern expression. She wasn't going to let Grayson go or allow Violet to keep interfering. Grayson turned around to face Zinnia and backed away until he stood beside Violet. He lifted his sword and aimed it at the Paragon.

"It doesn't look like she's going to let either of us go," Grayson said to Violet who looked at him but didn't respond.

"I think this is the part everyone loves in shows and stories where rivals and enemies combine forces to take down a greater threat. Would do you say, Vi?" Grayson asked while keeping his eyes on Zinnia as she raised her whip-sword.

Violet didn't answer him verbally. She grabbed the second kukri and wielded both. He took that as a 'yes.' They were both pretty banged up, but Grayson reckoned they could hold their own long enough so he could slip out during the battle. Running away was victory enough for him.

SLASH!

Zinnia was caught off guard, Grayson's eyes went wide, and Violet had blood pelted on her clothing and face. The Violent Flower struck Grayson with her kukri, cutting downward when he least expected it. The gash ran from his chest down to his abdomen with blood decorating the ground and Violet's kukri. Grayson got down on to one knee and looked to the young girl who brought him down.

"There will never come a day where I fight by your side," Violet told Grayson coldly.

He miscalculated. The hatred she felt for him was greater than he thought. It either clouded Violet's judgment and she attacked in hatred or she saw through Grayson's façade and struck before he could escape. The reason didn't matter. The Violent Flower dealt a critical blow.

"No!" Zinnia yelled. Ebony's plan could fall apart at this moment.

She extended her whip-sword to attack Violet who quickly stepped away from the blade's predicted trajectory. She was forced to get away from Grayson and Zinnia was glad Violet believed her feint. The Paragon wasn't trying to attack her cousin, she was retrieving Grayson. The whip-sword wrapped around a reluctant Grayson's body and she yanked her whip hard to quickly drag him to her side. He lost his grip on his sword and it was left behind as she pulled him away from his original position. Grayson no longer had any strength to resist. He was doing his best just to stay conscious.

"Shit!" Violet spat when Zinnia took him. The office door burst open, surprising Violet who saw Bianca enter the destroyed room.

The first thing Bianca saw was Ebony and Clair fighting. Her instinct to defend her liege kicked in and she aimed her Archangels at Ebony. Zinnia witnessed this and her own instincts went off. She had someone she needed to protect too. She brought out the wrist blade and activated Armaments. Her aura cloaked the blade and took its shape then she put more aura into her semblance to extend it, sending sword-shaped aura toward Bianca. The female gunslinger saw this coming and ducked low to the ground to avoid getting her head ripped off. Violet examined Zinnia's semblance now that she got a good look at it, but her cousin quickly reabsorbed her aura to return her blade to normal.

"Lady Ebony! It's time!" Zinnia screamed to her liege. She grabbed the segmented blade of her whip-sword wrapped around Grayson and jumped onto the top of the wall then leaped onto the hull of their airship.

Ebony heard Zinnia call to her and she changed Trois Reines back to sword form right before Clair attacked her again. The Charming Vantablack shoved her cousin away and quickly jumped onto the airship. She had no reason to be there now that she claimed her prize. Ebony was pleased when she saw Zinnia with Grayson wrapped around her whip.

"Dammit!" Clair cursed in frustration.

She finally acknowledged Bianca and Violet's presence. The three girls regrouped, completely exhausted with no idea what else they could do, then they were slightly taken aback by the sudden arrival of another ally.

"Mission accomplished," Ebony said with confidence. "It was touch and go there for a moment, but we made it out alive. Speaking of alive, is he-"

"He's gravely wounded but still with us," Zinnia answered.

Grayson's eyes were glazed over. He was barely conscious as he lost more blood. The only thing keeping him from fainting was his own force of will.

"He won't be causing any more trouble and we shouldn't rough him up more than he already is. Release him and hold him in the brig. We'll get him treated once we're out of Fortuna," Ebony ordered and Zinnia did as she said. She retracted her whip-sword and guided Grayson toward the deck of the airship.

Ebony walked ahead of them. Zinnia looked back to speak with her liege about retrieving Blood and Brenton, but instead, she took a large step back to avoid the blade that came down on her. Before Zinnia was the Blue Flicker, Remus Cobalt with Delta missing the Underland's body by a hair. He missed his mark, but he did succeed in separating her from Grayson. He planned to strike again, but Zinnia had her wrist weapon already aimed at him immediately after she jumped back. She fired from her gun barrel and a bolt of lightning hit Remus point blank. Using the last of his aura to teleport to the fifth floor, Remus knew this was going to hurt.

"AUGH!" he screamed as the shot hit and electrocuted him. His scream caught Ebony's attention as she turned to see what was going on.

Remus fell off the airship, back into Concordia. His appearance was unexpected but the Paragon was relieved it was resolved quickly. However, she was too overwhelmed with Remus to recognize the presence of another. The Blue Flicker jumped onto the airship with another person and he played the role of the distraction very well. Zinnia was too late to notice or react, but Ebony watched in utter shock.

In one quick movement, Clair de Lune Vantablack jabbed her pen-sword into Grayson's chest, piercing his body with her blade. It was similar to how Grayson finished off Sterling. Poetic.

"Aaahhh…" was all the injured mercenary could say. It was another critical hit and possibly a fatal one, but he was alive, at the moment.

"I did it. I finally did it," Clair thought joyfully, repeating the words in her head over and over again.

"No!" Ebony shouted as she ran toward Grayson and Clair. Zinnia pulled the blade out of Grayson so Clair couldn't push her blade further into him. The distracted Clair took a few unbalanced steps backward.

It took a great deal to make the Charming Vantablack lose her cool. Throughout her time in Vacuo, Atlas, and working under her aunt, she hardly ever lost her composure, but this time was different. This was the first time Clair or Zinnia saw Ebony Vantablack look angry and it was terrifying. Her usual cool, charming expression was replaced with that of a wild beast. She seemed capable of anything.

Grayson was an important piece in her grand scheme, however fleeting his life may be, but she refused to lose him now. Clair wasn't allowed to derail her meticulous plan.

To the shock of Zinnia, Clair, and Ebony herself, Ebony attacked Clair with Trois Reines in sword form. Clair was already off balanced and this downward strike across her body pushed her further away and she fell off the airship over the burning ground below.

"Clair!" Ebony called out in fear and guilt. She didn't want this.

Violet, Remus, and Bianca watched from the fifth floor as their friend was knocked off the airship and began to fall into the sea of flames covering the city. All of them were left speechless. Zinnia ran the edge of the airship and was prepared to catch Clair with her whip-sword combined with Armaments. Clair prayed she reach her in time, but it was no longer necessary.

Like a demon emerging from the burning bowls, Blood flew upward as he saw Clair fall. He caught her in his arms and flew into the sky above the airship. Violet and the others could see Clair was safe with him and Blood could see them including Zinnia and Clair who still had her sword out.

Ebony attacked Clair. The contract was broken. Blood was free from serving Ebony Vantablack. He looked down at Clair who looked up at him with a small smile. She was happy he saved her and he was glad to be by her side again.

Ebony looked at the loving scene slightly miffed. "It happened earlier than expected, but Blood is no longer one of my Champions,"

"We're going while we have the opportunity," she told Zinnia as she already started walking to the airship's deck.

"And Brenton?" Zinnia asked as she followed.

"We're not leaving until we find him," Ebony answered. An explosion of flame erected nearby Concordia before dying down. "He shouldn't be too hard to locate."

Blood flew into the fifth floor of the building to place Clair in Bianca's care as he left to tend to the others. Now that he was back on their side, he planned to help everyone. He retrieved Ghost and Silver, bringing them to the top floor with everyone else. The only people left were Zelts and Azura.

The Sky-Blue Warrior was on her hands and knees while Brenton stood before her with a slightly incensed look. She's been trying to fight him this whole time, but her body was too beat to follow her wishes. She could no longer continue, but she refused to back down. Brenton was fighting her at first, but it's been reduced to him just fending her attacks and waiting for her to faint.

 _"Is she done yet?"_ he asked. He got his answer when Azura looked at him with an intense glare.

 _"Guess not,"_

Azura was fighting the urge to collapse with what remained of her strength. Even if she was tired, even if she reached her limits long ago, she was going to fight him till the bitter end.

The sound of an airship filled their ears as Ebony's airship descended behind Brenton. The hatched opened for him to enter and he sighed. The King of Flames was relieved this was finally over. He felt like the bad guy for leaving this place in its burning state and for fighting such a weakened opponent. He wished Azura would get some rest.

"See ya," he said to Azura before boarding the ship.

Ebony's airship rose in the air and flew away into the night sky. Azura finally finished with her last battle collapsed into the sand. She closed her eyes to blink but they didn't open again. She wanted to keep fighting, but her body was constantly telling her to stop and it finally took the reins once she slowed down. Azura was done.

Behind her laid Zelts who was also unconscious from everything they did. Neither of them moved as the fires around them spread. None of them were close to either fighter, but they did surround the area. Now that Zelts and Brenton were no longer clashing the fires didn't spread any further than they already had. No more winds were fanning the flames. Eventually, the flames would die out on their own. Some of them were going out at this very moment.

Flying down to save them was Blood who descended to rescue his friends. He walked over to Azura and hoisted her into her arms before taking flight. The bat faunus wasn't strong enough to carry Azura and Zelts at the same time, so he made sure to fly as fast as he could to help his friend. Blood didn't take Azura to the fifth floor with the others. Instead, he brought her to the ground floor and gently laid her against the wall.

There were hardly any fires nearby that posed a threat so he left to recover Zelts. Something Blood didn't notice about this area was the missing presence of another person who was supposed to be here. Vago's unconscious body was nowhere to be seen. Where did he go?

While Blood was doing search and rescue, everyone on the fifth floor was about to walk down Concordia and return home. Their hovercars were stationed just outside the city and everyone was ready to get some rest. Silver, Bianca, and Ghost wasted no time leaving the office room. All three of them were tired, Silver and Ghost especially, and Bianca helped her two boys out of the building. She walked between them and placed their arms on her shoulders so she could be their support and help them walk down the stairs or what was left of them thanks to the previous battle.

Violet and Remus were ready to trail behind them, but Violet turned around to see Clair staring out the shattered window of her old office. She could only see Clair's back. Her face was indiscernible. Despite everything they went through today, the mission was a failure. None of them were able to kill Grayson. Clair delivered a fatal blow, but he was still alive. Even if he were to die from his injuries later, Violet wanted to watch him die now. She wondered if her best friend felt the same way.

"Remus, could you wait for me outside? I want to make sure lair's okay," she asked him kindly.

At first, he didn't want to leave her side, but he knew nothing bad was going to happen anymore. Remus didn't need to worry about her safety. "Okay," he answered, "I'll wait."

One thing Violet and the others could tell about Remus was that he wore his emotions on his sleeves. He was never good at hiding how he was feeling. She could tell from his downcast face he wanted to be with her a little longer. She smiled a little at the sentiment then checked their surroundings. Bianca and the others were gone and Clair wasn't paying them any attention. Violet kissed Remus on the cheek to brighten his mood. The unexpected act took him by surprise and he stared at her while Violet cupped his right cheek with her hand.

"I'll be back," she reassured.

His forlorn expression was replaced with a bright smile. He nodded and made his way out of the room with an obvious spring in his step. Seeing how she altered his mood so quickly made her smile grow bigger, but she put it away so she could talk with Clair.

The former monarch of Fortuna silently looked at the dying flames below. The sand was completely torched and so were the surrounding buildings. In the distance, she heard some of them crumble and fall apart. It was expected after the intense battle in this desolate place. Her old home was left in ruins, in a worse state than it was before. Violet had no idea how she could be feeling.

"Hey, Clair. It's going to be okay. I know we didn't get Grayson, but-"

"I feel like an enormous weight has been lifted off my chest," Clair interrupted.

Violet didn't know where she was going with this so she let Clair continue.

"That last hit I got on Grayson was so satisfying. It felt like I finally avenge Sterling, don't you think?" she asked Violet, turning to face her and tears could be seen trailing down her cheeks.

Relief. That was the word to describe how Violet felt. It was good to see Clair finally get a real form of closure even if it wasn't exactly what she wanted.

"He's going to die and I got him and his like out of my old home. That's all I wanted. Fortuna won't be remembered as the City of Thieves anymore."

"And I doubt Grayson will ever be a problem again," Violet commented as she stood next to her friend.

The time that spanned through this endeavor was unknown to the party. It wasn't until light rose from the horizon that told Clair and Violet how long they've been fighting. All night. The morning sun rose and the first inkling of light shined upon Fortuna.

This place was free from the tyranny of the Ravagers and too destroyed to be occupied by anyone again. Sterling could rest easy. Clair felt like if there was anything she wanted to tell him, it was to let him know she was okay. She, Onyx, and Cooper were perfectly fine. They created a new home for themselves and he'd be proud of everything they've accomplished. Nexus was the reincarnation of Fortuna.

At that moment, Clair vowed to make sure Nexus flourished, to protect her home and those important to her, and to not let the past haunt her future decisions. Nexus was the miracle born after the fall of Fortuna.

 _"I'll make you proud,"_ Clair thought as she looked at the dawn of a new day.

Violet silently stood beside Clair with her eyes on the same sunrise. Her mind, however, wasn't filled with closure. What Ebony told her still echoed in the back of her mind. Taking Grayson to be dealt with by the kingdom of Vacuo. He was a problem for no one other than herself, her team, and her friends. The kingdom had absolutely no reason to interfere with their long blood feud.

"This is… unsatisfying," she thought to herself.

 _"He only lives for another day. Grayson is going to die, but it's going to be done by someone else's hand," Ebony answered like it was a business meeting._

Clair looked to the sky with a warm smile while Violet had a solemn frown.

 **Setting: Desert**

The morning sun continued to rise as VRSZ and Clair's retinue left the battle and their old home behind them. They were riding in their hovercars and every single person inside was injured or fatigued. Several of them fell asleep as soon as they got in their seats. The drivers were some of the few who were still conscious enough to operate the vehicles. Bianca was driving Clair's hovercar, insisting she'd drive so her liege could get some well-earned rest, and Violet was driving hers. Blood requested he'd drive, but Bianca told him it was fine and she's glad he was finally going to see his new home. Initially, Remus took the wheel, but he nearly fell asleep while driving and almost crashed the car, so Violet became the driver. The Cobalt got in the passenger's seat and ran as fast as he could to dreamland.

With everyone beyond the point of exhaustion, no one spoke o anyone about the events that transpired. Getting home was the most important objective. Violet kept thinking about Ebony, Grayson, and the kingdom of Vacuo. The battle was over, but not the war. Ebony and the kingdom stood in the way of her goal, Grayson. She kept this to herself for now. She wanted everyone to get a well-deserved rest before making her wishes known.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Flying through the morning sky, the airship was on autopilot as it made its destination for a sanctioned settlement. The occupants on board were doing things individually. Brenton and Zinnia were asleep in their respective rooms, Ebony was taking a long shower to wash the stress of the day away, and their new prisoner was in the brig of the airship where he was chained to the wall.

Grayson was sitting in the corner of his cell with his right hand chained to the wall, shackles wrapped around his feet, and an aura-disrupting collar placed around his neck. He was given minimal treatment for the wounds he received in battle and left to rot. The collar prevented him from replenishing his aura to activate Vitality. He wasn't going to recover rapidly like his semblance allowed and any sudden movements would open his wounds and he'd start bleeding again. Only one thing was certain if that were to pass: death.

He lost his base, his underlings, his teammates, and he lost to Violet once again. The Ravagers were done now that he was taken. He didn't know what became of Shiranui or Vago. They were dead or abandoned him. Grayson thought about it and guessed Shiranui would probably try to rescue him only to end up getting killed and assumed Vago would leave for his own self-interest. Grayson knew he'd do the same thing so he didn't hold it against the Master of Shadows. Either way, he doubted he'd see either of them ever again. Ultimately, he had no idea what was going to happen next.

Grayson was at his lowest point.

With a towel wrapped around her body and a smaller one wrapped around her black hair; Ebony walked out of the shower of her personal bathroom. She felt like it was needed after the night she and her companions had. She was dressed in black sleep pants and a white shirt before strolling to the common grounds of her ship. She sat at a table near the window where her chessboard was placed. The game she was playing against herself was unfinished and she planned to continue.

Playing chess was one of her favorite pass times. It helped her clear her head of needless thoughts so she could think clearly. Ebony sat on the left side of the table and made a move with the black pieces, a maneuver that allowed her to take a white piece off the table.

 _"Grayson is in my custody. The next step in my plan is assured,"_ she thought before getting up to sit on the opposite end of the table.

Playing as her opponent, she advanced the white pieces' assault by taking a black piece.

 _"Unfortunately, I lost Blood a little earlier than I planned. It's entirely my fault… I guess deep down I'm still the same little who gets a little temperamental when things don't go her way,"_ she smiled at her own criticism.

 _"Can't through a fit when you're thrown a curveball, especially with Clair and VRSZ. I'll have to do better controlling myself. Not to mention I need to find a replacement for Blood sooner than needed. Clair, her Enforcers, and Team VRSZ. We're badly outnumbered,"_ she thought as she sat in the other chair. This statement was unfavorable, but for some reason, Ebony was smiling mischievously.

 _"A problem that will be easily rectified with the next, and final stage in my plan,"_ Ebony's move with the black pieces took another white piece off the board and penetrated their defensive line.

"Enjoy your short respite, VRSZ. I'll see you all real soon. In the kingdom."

* * *

 **After this chapter, Clair de Lune Vantablack has clearly gone through a lot and receives a new theme that perfectly describes her situation.**

 **Light of Hope (Cover): Emi Jones  
** **The lyrics in this song serve as the message Sterling would give to his niece if he could speak with her. Clair knows nothing in her life truly ends or dies as long she keeps them in her heart. Nexus is the seed for a new home for Clair, her family, and friends. You're gonna be all right, Clair. Walk forward with your head held high.**


	28. Rift

Two days have passed since the final battle in Fortuna. Once called the City of Thieves, the former city was abandoned by the rogues and lowlifes who called it home. Many of them were defeated within while others escaped from the ensuing chaos. Either way, they spread the tale of what happened that day as well as a certain charming Vantablack.

The news spread like wildfire across Vacuo. Team VRSZ returned to their old home and annihilated the Ravagers. The greatest mercenary group in Vacuo were crushed by their rivals and this brought the group once known as the Freelancers some fame in this region of Remnant. Their string of battles against dangerous opponents within these past two weeks has gained them the attention of many people in Vacuo, especially those upset with the kingdom for seeming completely inept when it comes to dealing with serious matters.

There was another shard of information that permeated the air was that Grayson of the Ravagers was captured by the kingdom of Vacuo and scheduled for execution. This was incredibly surprising and slightly satisfying to the people. It begged the question did the kingdom hire VRSZ or was this a joint mission, but the imminent death of Grayson was more relieving than the details of his capture. However, the kingdom had no idea how the information about Grayson leaked out before they planned to announce it. Things were going very smoothly for them, but everything was going perfectly for their diplomat.

 **Setting: Settlement**

Ebony had her airship land in a sanctioned settlement to serve as a proper resting place for her Champions. The Charming Vantablack was sitting in a park where there were several food stands and vehicles in the area. People were buying food and having a good time. The blissful look in her eyes and her relaxed, laid-back sitting position on the bench showed she was enraptured by the tranquility.

"Such a nice sight," she said to herself. Ebony looked around to see if any of her friends were around.

She found Zinnia nearby, ordering food wrapped in a tortilla. The most dutiful of Champions was always close by her liege in case she was needed. Ebony thought it was cute and admirable yet she wants to see what the Paragon would look like if her stern face was broken. What would Zinnia's relaxed face look like? Her scared face? Excited, angered, sad, embarrassed, happy, smitten, repulsed. Ebony wanted to see them all.

Brenton was nowhere in sight though Ebony preferred to have high-quality eye candy to hold onto. He informed Zinnia that he was going to go sightseeing while they had the time off. Despite his intimidating appearance and ferocity on the battlefield, Brenton Drake was quite docile and level-headed. This place, while not important, was very different from Corona and he wanted to see every part of it. Ebony figured it would be like this anytime they visit a new town or city and she didn't mind. She was fond of being around individuals with personalities like Zinnia and Brenton.

Although the peaceful outing was nice, Ebony was here on business. She informed the kingdom of her capture and explained her plan to them. The higher-ups of the kingdom agreed and arranged for the former mercenary to be executed so they could save face in front of their people. Their acceptance was expected, so Ebony needed to lay the foundation for the next phase. After leaking the information about Grayson's execution, Ebony contacted the kingdom a second time, telling them that transporting Grayson would be dangerous with people knowing about it, fearing someone might try to rescue him or take him away for a ransom. As a precautionary measure, the kingdom agreed to deploy bodyguards to assist them in their travel to the kingdom and Ebony made a request for a specific team to protect her.

The rendezvous point was this settlement with the park as the meeting place. The Charming Vantablack waited patiently for the team she wanted to arrive and they did. Ebony smiled when she saw them.

 _"Perfect,"_ she thought wickedly.

 **Setting: Nexus**

The settlement of Nexus was making a slow, but steady recovery after the Ravagers invaded and assaulted the place in search of Team VRSZ. Multiple buildings were being repaired and their reconstruction halted the construction of the outer regions of the other districts. The progress was also slow because workers repairing Nexus was cut in half. The majority of workers were in Virago, helping the settlement that was attacked first by Royal. Both settlements shared resources to help each remained afloat.

The other allied settlements began helping as well. Treasure Trove Wharf, Nova, and Oasis provided support to Nexus and Virago, in any way they could, and they did so publicly. After months of keeping the relationship between Nexus and the other settlements a secret, Chartreuse, Persis, and Solis came to the conclusion that it wasn't necessary anymore. They were proud to be associated with Nexus, the home of Clair de Lune Vantablack and VRSZ, the newest heroes of Vacuo, and did not fear whatever consequences the kingdom could throw at them.

This bravery and the information of Team VRSZ residing in Nexus has garnered support from other settlements as well. Three more nearby settlements sent envoys to express their wishes within two days and the council accepted. The attention they were receiving in Vacuo was benefiting Nexus and Virago as they shipped resources to their sister home. Saffron was more than happy to accept anything to help her people recover and prosper.

All the council members were glad things were moving smoothly after so much tragedy. Persis would complain about the amount of paperwork they had to do and he usually heard Chartreuse scold him then Solis telling him to think about the profit this could bring. Persis immediately recovered after hearing he would make money. It worked every time. Carmine was sole council member in charge of goods being traded between settlements. This started with her moving between Nexus and Virago until more settlements assisted and she gradually became the director of the trading traffic.

Every council member was hard at work, but it begged the question from the citizens and onlookers of Nexus; where are Clair and Team VRSZ?

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

A scroll started vibrating. It was on a shelf next to a large bed with a canopy. The covers and pillows were pure white and so were the curtains which also had gold decorative designs of crescent moons. Sleeping, or was sleeping, in the bed was the Lady of Nexus herself, Clair de Lune Vantablack. Her black her looked slightly disheveled and she groaned in annoyance when the vibrating of her scroll would not cease. After everything that's happened, Clair just wanted a few days to herself. She told the council, Onyx, and C.P. her wish and they complied, but someone was breaking that promise. The groggy young lady rose from her bed and glared at her phone.

"If I stare at it hard enough, it might die," she thought with irritation written all over her face.

The scroll finally stopped vibrating and went to voicemail. Clair sighed and dropped her head back onto her pillow, but her bliss was short-lived when the scroll started vibrating again. Her eyes flicked open quickly and anger seethed within them.

Clair snatched the scroll, pressed the answer button, and yelled, "What?!"

"That's a horrible way to say hello to your girlfriend," the person on the other line replied with a playful air.

Evergreen. Hearing the singer's voice snapped Clair out of her morning funk and she sat up in her bed to properly talk. "Hey, Ever. Sorry about that. I had a rough couple of days and was trying to unwind. What's up?"

"Actually, it's about the little rough patch you've been having. I have a proposition for you."

 **Setting: Desert**

No rest for the righteous or the wicked. Another phrase people like to say and right now, Team VRSZ were uncertain if they fell under the righteous or wicked category. All four of them were in VRSZ Fantasia and riding their hovercar to their next destination and hopefully final mission, the kingdom of Vacuo. The plan was to intercept Ebony before she could deliver Grayson to the kingdom and kill him themselves.

After their battle in Fortuna, Violet was unfulfilled with Ebony taking Grayson away and the kingdom using his death to make them look like heroes. It was infuriating how these third parties were entering their business and taking over and the feeling was mutual between the other members. Silver wanted the bastard gone and Remus believed they needed to finish what they started. Zelts agreed, however, his heart was in turmoil.

All the battles they had to endure this past week and a half had taken its toll on Zelts. Grayson, Royal, Alexandrite, Ebony. The seemingly endless conflicts made the weary knight think about his days in Never-End. Fighting after fighting with no end in sight. Things were different after joining VRSZ. He felt like he had control over what he could do in life, but these past few days have been tough on him. Now, VRSZ was looking for fights. Zelts didn't want this. He didn't want to be constantly fighting.

The adverse thoughts swirled in his head and Zelts was thinking about several different ideas that would affect himself and those around him. He kept it to himself until he could come to a clear decision.

Violet drove the Fantasia to the midpoint of Vacuo, choosing one of the more common routes for them to intercept Ebony's airship. It wouldn't be hard to notice the large vehicle flying through the sky, especially on a clear day like this. It was time for a stakeout.

Several hours passed and everyone had to fight the heat and boredom. The first was dealt with by the team bringing two coolers full of ice and bottled water. To fight boredom, everyone passed time in their own way. Silver did what he kept doing after the battle in Fortuna, showing off that he could levitate and hover in the air. Remus watched, impressed like always, and Silver loved the admiration he received from his younger teammate. Zelts was tired of sitting and got out of the hovercar. Leaning against the vehicle, Zelts looked to his two male teammates have their moment. It was the fun times like this that made him grateful to be a part of this team. His glance shifted toward Violet who remained in the driver's seat. The flower sat there in silence, looking up at the blue sky.

 _"I wonder what she's thinking about?"_ Zelts thought to himself.

Scanning the sky, Violet was trying to outmaneuver the Charming Vantablack who has been beating her with every encounter. It was vexing to have a terrible losing streak. This has never happened to Violet and she didn't like it. For some reason, the Vantablacks were always one step ahead of the Underlands. This pattern was occurring so much that it was close to being considered a fact. Violet wanted to be the one to surprise Ebony and she was trying to do that now.

 _"Her airship is the most logical mode of transportation, but also the most obvious. Ebony's not the boastful or careless type either. Every move is calculated. If not by air, then…"_ Violet was trying to decipher Ebony's battle strategy as she kept her eyes locked on the sky.

Two more hours passed and the sun passed the peak in the sky where it was highest. The day was passing by, but there was still no sign of the airship. Zelts was sitting in the back with his jacket over his head to protect him from the sun while Remus sat next to him, playing games on his scroll to pass the time. Silver was checking the ammunition he brought for the mission.

 _"Then again, she's been one step ahead all this time, I bet she even thought about us coming to stop her,"_ Violet couldn't stop thinking about how to get the drop on Ebony.

"Ebony can't get here any sooner," Silver commented as boredom finally took hold. His words caught everyone's attention. "I'd like to get this fight over with so we can go home. Bianca and I haven't had time to ourselves. Kinda hoping this last thing on our To-Do list would be done quickly."

"Fighting Ebony and her team isn't going to be easy. All of them are tough. Very tough," Remus said, reminded of Brenton and Zinnia.

"It should be easier without Blood on their side. We have the numbers," Silver countered.

Zelts shook his head as he heard their debate. "Do we have to look for a fight?"

Remus, Silver, and Violet turned to him and Zelts was slightly surprised they reacted. He just realized he said this out loud and not in his head.

"I really doubt they'll hand Grayson over if we ask nicely," Silver told Zelts with a chuckle.

"Don't worry. We're not going to fight anyone," Violet announced for everyone to understand.

"Huh?" Zelts looked to their leader and so did a confused Silver.

"The goal is to kill Grayson. We go in, kill Grayson, then leave. We keep fighting to a minimum. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Zelts replied, slightly relieved Violet was on the same wavelength as him.

Silver didn't expect this to be their battle plan, but he wasn't against it. The sooner he could get back to Bianca, the better. Remus nodded in agreement with Violet. He didn't have a problem with a battle plan or a search and destroy mission. Actually, he preferred it this way. It meant he could see Blood when he got back and settle an old score.

Another hour passed with no sign of Ebony. It wasn't as hot as before, but given this was a desert, it was still pretty hot. The sky was clear of any airships, but the sound of an engine could be heard in the distance.

"You guys hear that?" Remus alerted the others.

Silver looked out in the distance and could see a sand cloud coming with a vehicle in front of it. He eyed it and so did Remus with the zoom of his bionic eye. Both of them were taken back to see a small truck driving to the kingdom with Ebony as the driver. They thought she would use her airship.

"Um, I don't know why, but Ebony's driving a truck here," Silver told Violet and Zelts.

 _"Thought so,"_ Violet thought, determined to outplay the Charming Vantablack. "Remus, take them out."

On her order, Remus ran toward the truck, kicking up sand and making a small sand cloud of his own. He reached the vehicle quickly and pulled Delta from his back. With two quick strikes, he passed by the vehicle and the left side tires were slashed in half. The truck spiraled out of control for a moment before tipping over and flipping in the air. The crash was terrible, or it would've been terrible if a force field wasn't erected around the truck, protecting it from further damage.

The way the vehicle was protected was very unexpected from Ebony, but the team could've sworn it was familiar. Remus ran to the truck and tried to cut his way through the force field, but his sword couldn't break through. One swipe of his blade and the force field didn't break or crack. However, after his attack, the area he struck shined and blasted him back a few feet away but he landed on his feet. Remus was prepared to use Checkpoint to teleport within the force field but it vanished before he could put his plan into action and the doors opened.

"You guys really know how to say hi," Ebony said sarcastically as he walked out of the truck while rubbing her backside. She turned to look at Remus and gave him a wink though he didn't respond.

Seeing her emerge from the vehicle made Violet smile to herself. She felt like Ebony wasn't as cunning as she thought she was if her tactics were this easy to read. Violet gave Silver and Zelts hand signals, telling them to surround the truck and every side. They did so quickly and the truck was completely covered. Remus had the back, Zelts had the right, Silver had the left, and Violet covered the front.

 _"There's nothing she could do that I can't see coming,"_ Violet thought confidently.

"Can I ask why you're doing this?" Ebony asked, but Violet could tell she was just playing dumb.

"You know exactly why we're here. Hand Grayson over," Violet demanded. Her arms were down to her kukris, ready to fight if need be.

"He's going to be put to death. Can't you be satisfied with-"

"He's been our personal problem since the beginning! No one has the right to take this away from us! We're the ones who are going to end him!" she shouted back with anger flaring in her eyes.

Ebony didn't say anything. She only grinned at her response. The Charming Vantablack turned to the truck and said, "What do you guys think of that?"

Violet waited for Zinnia and Brenton to come out, but they weren't the ones driving with Ebony. Every single member of VRSZ was shocked by the retinue that stood with Ebony. Shocked was a strong enough word to define their emotions. Shaken to their very core was the closest description.

Four people walked out of the truck and each one stood against a member of VRSZ.

"Why…are you…" Violet tried to raise her question but her confusion prevented her from speaking coherently.

Standing by Ebony's side was a friend of Team VRSZ and their former junior, Cerise Sanguine. The look she gave Violet was one a fortitude and compassion.

"This is bigger than anyone's personal problem, Vi. Just let us do our job and bring Grayson to justice," the younger girl pleaded with the person she admired the most.

Standing against Silver was Hazel with a sympathetic expression. In front of Remus was Loden with a stern face and the person facing off with Zelts was another Loden with the exact same look. Which one was the real one and which one was Sapphire? Either way, the boys didn't know what to do. How were they going to deal with their protégés being the wall between them and Grayson?

Violet's eyes were on Cerise before glancing over at Ebony. She noticed how the Charming Vantablack had a knowing grin and wasn't hiding it in the slightest. She planned for this. Violet may have been able to guess several of Ebony's steps, but she didn't think the Vantablack was capable of this. Violet was out of her depth. It was becoming a fact; the Vantablacks were smarter than the Underlands.

"Cerise, move aside and let us kill Grayson. He's in the back of that truck, right? Give this to us and we'll walk away," Violet tried to persuade her friend, hoping to avoid any kind of battle.

The response she got was Cerise planting her feet firmly on the ground and refusing to back down. "You know I can't do that."

Ebony watched them both with an amused expression. "So, what happens next?"

* * *

 **The best dancers on Team VRSZ from best to worst are Zelts, Silver, Remus, and Violet. Zelts is surprisingly the best dancer. He's great at slow dances as well. Silver is the second best dancer because he likes to go with the flow and Remus is third because he's learning. Violet can't dance for shit. She is too stiff and gets nervous when she's on the dance floor.**

 **Prior to the final battle in Fortuna, Team VRSZ were known throughout Vacuo with Violet being more well-known than the others thanks to her huge bounty years ago. Now, every member is just as recognizable.**


	29. VRSZ Team CLSH Round 2

**Setting: Desert**

The disbelief in Violet's eyes was unparallel. Ebony Vantablack had Cerise, Loden, Sapphire, and Hazel on her side. Team CLSH, VRSZ's former juniors, was standing between them and their goal, Grayson. Of all the predictions Violet thought Ebony was capable of, this scenario never crossed her mind and the acceptance that it was happening right now was still hard to swallow. Before the Violent Flower was Cerise and Ebony, friend and foe, and she didn't know what to do.

The other members of VRSZ were just as stunned and they didn't know how to approach this situation.

 _"What do we do now?"_ Remus thought to himself as he kept his eyes on Loden and the truck.

 _"Are we going to turn back or…"_ Silver didn't know what to do with Hazel in front of him. He didn't have Fenrir out yet because it didn't feel right aiming his gun at either of these girls.

"This isn't right," Zelts thought with gritted teeth as he looked at the second Loden. "We shouldn't fight them for any reason. Turn back. Please, Violet. Ebony even. Give the order to turn back,"

"Please, Violet. Go back to Nexus and let the kingdom handle Grayson," Cerise asked her friend with a firm tone. Violet didn't reply. She looked over at a grinning Ebony.

 _"How did this happen?"_ Violet wondered.

 **Setting Settlement**

The Charming Vantablack waited patiently for the team she wanted to arrive and they did. Ebony smiled when she saw them.

 _"Perfect,"_ she thought wickedly.

All four members of Team CLSH arrived in the park to meet Ebony, their client. Sapphire and Loden stood by Cerise and eyed the Vantablack suspiciously while their leader had a cautious look. Hazel was checking their surroundings, eyeing Zinnia in the distance.

"You're Ebony Vantablack, right?" Cerise asked in an obviously curt tone. Ebony smiled at her.

 _"Aw, they're wary of me. That's so cute. No doubt Clair or more likely Violet shared some stories about me. Well. I never expected getting them to see me as an ally would be easy. Thankfully, it's not impossible,"_

"Yes, I am! And you must be Cerise Sanguine, Loden Take, Sapphire Vellum, and Hazel Vespid. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Ebony waved for Zinnia to come here and the Paragon heeded her call. The Underland stood beside her patron and scanned the members of CLSH. She didn't see them as a threat because Ebony told her everything would be okay, but she always had a slither of caution for any situation.

"This is my confidant, Zinnia Underland. She's actually Violet's cousin," Ebony bragged, but Zinnia wasn't fazed. _"Damn. No embarrassment. I'll make you smile, Zinnia,"_

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Zinnia said to the team while extending her hand. Cerise took her hand while the other girls got a better look at Zinnia. A closer inspection showed Zinnia and Violet did have similar physical characteristics. Sapphire thought it was weird seeing a member of Violet's family after hearing the story of happened to them in Atlas. None of them knew what to make of Zinnia who seemed polite and not malicious in the slightest.

"I have another retainer, but he's on a stroll right now. We can discuss the mission while he's away and I'll inform him on what he missed," Ebony told Cerise who nodded in agreement.

All six girls sat at a large table in the park, except Zinnia who stood behind Ebony.

It was exactly as Ebony thought; Cerise and the others were suspicious of Ebony. Sapphire didn't trust her the second she started speaking. Loden figured a fight might ensue in the future so she made sure she was mentally prepared. Hazel had her wasp drones flying around the park, out of sight and ready to act if needed. Cerise's feelings about the Charming Vantablack were more mixed than her friends.

They were told about her involvement in the destruction of Fortuna, but they also heard about her diplomatic actions in Corona and how she assisted VRSZ in taking down Royal, everyone's common enemy. The news of her assistance with the defeat and capture of Grayson just reached their ears. None of the girls heard anything about this from VRSZ yet, so news and rumors were all they had about the event. This was a complex ordeal in Cerise's mind.

"As former denizens of Fortuna, I'm sure you all are glad to know Grayson has been defeated," Ebony spoke first, already activating Charm.

"…Yeah," Loden spoke unintentionally.

"And it's my job to make sure he receives just punishment for everything he's done."

"I think that could've been done by finishing him off in Fortuna," Sapphire interrupted, influenced by Charm but still her defiant self.

"True. Violet and Clair thought the same thing and I tried to convince them otherwise. For several months, Grayson, the Ravagers, and those affiliated with them had terrorized many in Vacuo. Their actions caused a lot of fear and a rise in Grimm activity, something I'm sure you and the kingdom had to deal with on a daily basis."

Cerise and the others didn't respond. They looked away because it was true. Most of their time was used killing Grimm and defending towns from scoundrels. The kingdom's forces were so spread out, they had no chance to deal with Grayson.

"I want the people of Vacuo to know Grayson was defeated and will face justice publicly. They need to see the monster they feared all this time be put to death. It will alleviate their worries and the Grimm activity will drop considerably. Killing him in Fortuna would be sensible but not practical in the long run. With rumors as the only evidence, I'm sure there will be some who feel like Grayson could be alive somewhere and those thoughts can breed anxiety and fear, begetting more Grimm. Vacuo doesn't need a boogeyman."

Zinnia was unaffected by Charm, but she didn't think Ebony needed her semblance for this situation. Everything she said was a good reason for the kingdom to take Grayson into their custody. The Paragon was smart enough to figure out Ebony used Charm not to convince Team CLSH, but to solidify that she was their ally.

"I… don't know what to say to that," Hazel admitted aloud. It was a statement shared by her friends. Ebony's Charm was helping her make Team CLSH see things her way.

"I know all of you are close with Team VRSZ and I'm sure they said some things about me, but I assure you, I'm looking out for everyone's best interest. I tried to explain this to them when we were in Fortuna, but the team was adamant about killing Grayson then and there," Ebony told Team CLSH, still working her Charm to bend to her words.

"Everything she said makes sense and the kingdom personally tasked us with guarding her," Cerise thought then said, "Are you the reason the kingdom asked us to do this?"

A small smile formed on the Charming Vantablack's face. "Sharp young lady," she complimented, "Yes, I asked for Team CLSH to handle this job because you're the only ones up to the task. There's no doubt in my mind Team VRSZ will try to sabotage this execution for their own desires, so I need a group of people who can persuade them to stop. And if heaven forbid, a fight breaks out, you're the only team who knows how to counter them."

Loden, Hazel, and Sapphire looked to their leader. None of them wanted to fight VRSZ, not this way. This was a personal matter for them, but the need to calm the people of Vacuo outweighed their vendetta. Cerise made her choice.

"If we do run into them, we'll do our best to talk them out of it. No one has to fight," she assured Clair whose smile grew bigger.

"Thank you," she said before turning to Zinnia. "This may be hard to accept, but I need you and Brenton to stay here."

Zinnia looked at her perturbed with her words. She had no idea Ebony was going to tell her to stay behind. "W-why?" she asked concerned about her liege's plan.

"If we do encounter VRSZ with these numbers, they'll get anxious and think we're there to fight our way through. They won't do that with these girls. The fewer people, the better," Ebony replied.

Zinnia could no longer be affected by Charm, but Ebony was still right. It was frustrating for Zinnia to leave her friend and hope she'll be fine without her. And she knew not to cause a scene in front of other parties. It would make their chain of command seem questionable. The only thing she could do was swallow her defiance and accept.

"If that is what you want, Brenton and I will remain here," she answered dryly.

"There it is," Ebony thought when she looked at the disappointed eyes of her confidant for the first time. "As I thought, cute,"

Ebony took hold of Zinnia's hands, causing the fiery-haired Underland to look at her. "I'll be back before you know it," Ebony said with a genuine smile.

 **Setting: Desert**

Violet watched on as Cerise tried to coax her from killing Grayson, but the flower could hardly believe everything that was happening. What was Ebony trying to do? Everything twisted and wrong that has happened to her so far has seemed to be caused by this young woman.

 _"How far are you willing to go just to screw with us?"_ she thought.

"Violet!" Cerise yelled, snapping Violet out of her daze. "Let us through and we can all just be glad everything with Grayson has come to an end."

"Yes, be civil about this," Ebony interjected. "I know Grayson has always been your team's problem," she said using Charm then stopped using it, "but let us take care of the rest."

"You're right about one thing, Ebony. Grayson is our problem, a problem for us to solve! The kingdom doesn't get to play savior now! Not when they had so many chances to help!" Violet barked, fueled by growing anger and Ebony's words.

"It's not like the kingdom could go wherever it wanted. They had to-" Cerise was trying to convince Violet but her senior turned to her and interrupted.

"The kingdom doesn't give a shit about anything but keeping up appearances!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Cerise yelled at Violet.

Everyone around the truck holding Grayson was concerned about the heated conversation. This was escalating to a point where there could only be one option and both sides were worried about what to do when it happened.

"You have no idea how much the kingdom has done for the people and how much it sacrifices without anyone knowing! They're trying their best to maintain peace after the Fall of Beacon and things keep getting worse for them, for us. I know you guys had it hard. I know because Grayson screwed us over just like you, but seeing his time come to an end should be enough, right?" Cerise was boldly confronting Violet.

This was getting out of hand. Violet knew this, but she and the others came to kill Grayson themselves.

"Get in, get out. That's still the plan. Cerise and the others were never supposed to be part of this, but here they are. The worse part is they're obstinate about doing their job… I don't… want to-"

"Vi, please listen to reason," Ebony called out. "I understand all your frustration."

Ebony activated Charm again and said, "Grayson destroying your old home and attacking your new one. Royal doing the same to Virago, and the kingdom choosing to usurp it all would enrage anyone. I would be fighting tooth and nail to get the results I want. Fight. Fight for what you deserve, Violet," Ebony ended Charm with those words.

"However, this fighting will come to take away everything else you hold dear, like your bond with Team CLSH. No one wants that. Walk away and let the kingdom handle everything."

 _"Fight, fight for what you deserve, Violet,"_ Ebony's words echoed inside Violet's head. Those were the words that she believed were justified. Every struggle and battle has led to this ending between VRSZ and the Ravagers. Violet and Grayson. No one was going to end this for them.

No one.

Ebony grinned when she saw the results of her manipulation. Violet quickly pulled an Enigma from her bag and threw it at the Vantablack and an utterly shocked Cerise. The trigger was pulled. The first shot has been fired. Ebony's plan was underway.

Everyone else was facing away from their leaders, but the sound of an explosion grabbed all of their attention. Violet threw a fire Enigma at Ebony and Cerise, knowing the latter would counter with her Shield and she was right. Cerise created a spherical force field around herself and Ebony, protecting them from the exploding knife. Cerise may have acted on instinct, but her heart took a massive hit when Violet openly attacked her. Ebony looked at the girl with the slightest of grins, happy everything was unfolding as she predicted.

Violet wasted no time and sprinted to the truck while the smoke from the explosion clouded their sight. She jumped onto the force field then jumped again to land on the truck. She was about to cut the roof of the back open with her kukri, but she felt something crash into her and knock her off the vehicle.

The others watched as Violet landed on the truck and was about to pry it open until Ebony followed behind her and tackled her into the sand. Seeing their leader being attacked was the sign Remus and Silver needed to know they had to fight Ebony. Zelts was a little hesitant to spring into combat because it meant fighting CLSH. His hesitation left him open as Loden released cables from her gauntlets and wrapped them around Zelts's wrists, tying them together before he could reach for Heart of Gold. The Spinnerets on her hands was all the evidence he needed to know he was facing Sapphire. She swung her arms with cables and yanked Zelts from his position then did so again, throwing him away from the scene.

"Oh boy, he's heavy," Sapphire complained as she deactivated Masquerade.

Zelts laid in the sand, completely unharmed, but very upset with everyone. "Why do we have to fight?"

Remus quickly ran forward with the real Loden wielding World Splitter then quickly jumped high into the air before she could fend him off. He was aiming for Ebony and the truck. Silver moved in to do the same, jumping in the air and using Gravity to glide over Hazel who activated her Hive. The wasp drones were released from her high-tech pack and flew towards their target. Silver had Fenrir aimed at Ebony, but a laser blast was fired from being, surprising him as he looked back to see the three drones tailing him.

"Shit," he cursed before veering away from the truck to battle the drones.

Remus was descending down on Ebony and split Delta into its two blades. He threw the smaller sword at the Vantablack who grabbed Trois Reines from its scabbard and deflected the blade with her own. The small, single-edged blade flew behind Ebony and Remus used Checkpoint to teleport to its location, grabbing the blade and reeling both his arms back to strike. He swung both swords, Ebony extended the sword's hilt to turn it into a spear, and a barrier was created between them before the weapons could clash. Cerise concentrated on keeping her employer safe. At the same time, Violet was quickly getting up and was going to face Ebony with Remus, but the sound of the ground rumbling caught her ear.

Burning stone rose from the ground in the form of large pillars. Violet looked over to see Loden was doing this with her weapon, but she had a fire dust crystal embedded into her weapon. She created a wall of scorching rock that began to wrap around the vehicle. Her actions forced Ebony and Remus to jump off the truck. Ebony landed next to Cerise who threw a Runaway at Remus who jumped in the opposite direction. He was ready to swat it away, but the bomb went off in front of him and the intense light it released showed it was a flashbang. Remus was blinded by the Runaway and landed in the sand with his eyes completely shut. He felt something wrap around his leg then felt his whole body be hoisted into the air before being slammed into the ground. Sapphire released her cables from his leg and wrapped them around his body to keep him in place.

Silver was being suppressed by Hazel's wasp drones, Remus was restrained by Sapphire, Zelts seemed to be having his own personal struggle, and Violet was facing Loden who barricaded the truck with fiery stone. Things were already out of control, but the team still had the mission on their mind.

Kill Grayson then leave.

The man of the hour was in the back of the truck where prisoners sat. He heard nothing but the sound of battle outside. He laid on the ground after the truck was spun out of control. He was too tired to get up and his wound was open, bleeding through his clothes. He didn't know what was going on. He could only speculate to take his mind off the pain.

"Dammit!" Silver yelled as he glided through the sky as he got closer to the ground.

Behind were Hazel's wasp drones still firing on him. He rolled and dodged each shot while firing back with his twin guns. His gunfire was damaging them, but not enough to take them out of commission. _"She upgraded them again. Great,"_ he thought before getting hit in the chest by one of the drones' lasers.

The blast pushed him to the ground and he rolled in the sand for a few seconds before leaping off of it and getting back into the air. Airborne again, Silver continued to soar through the sky while keeping the drones at bay. The gunslinger wasn't flying around aimlessly to avoid the drones. He was taking a long path back to his original position and back to Hazel.

Violet was battling Loden while Remus was combating Cerise and Ebony at the same time. Loden was swinging her naginata to keep Violet at bay when she tried to get close and used it to deflect any knives thrown her way. Violet was insightful of their fighting styles, but Loden was aware of Violet's style as well as the other members of VRSZ. Violet threw three ice Enigmas at Loden's feet. The green-haired fighter used her polearm to block the first one, but the other two made contact with her legs and froze her in place. She used this moment to activate Invisibility and sprint toward Loden which was a gamble of a move.

Out of all the people she has fought, Loden had the greatest advantage over her. She was physically stronger and a well-trained hand-to-hand fighter. She wasn't far behind Violet's level of combat and using it with World Splitter made her CLSH's heaviest hitter. Violet would never admit this to anyone, but despite her years of battle experience, she had difficulty against polearm-users like Loden, Alexandrite, and Ebony.

The one thing that gave Loden the biggest advantage over Violet was her semblance. The 360-degree vision from Panorama made it impossible for anyone to deceive Loden. All tricks and deceptions were revealed to her, including Violet's, but her own semblance, Invisibility, could bypass Panorama, but not in the desert.

Loden didn't have to waste time keeping track of Violet, she already knew where she was, looking at the sand being kicked up with every step. She was moving to Loden's right and Loden, without the need to turn her head, reacted by swinging her World Splitter into the sand to create and send a wave of burning earth at the invisible girl. Violet threw fire Enigmas at Loden but the wave of stone coming her way acted as a shield before coming in as an attack. Violet took two large steps back while grabbing a wind Enigma. After landing, she dropped the knife on the ground and the wind dust released a small vortex that launched Violet into the air while she was still invisible. To Loden, all she saw was a small gust of wind as her stones covered the area.

In the air, Loden couldn't tell what Violet was doing and the Violent Flower pulled out six Enigmas filled with fire dust. She threw them, but her target was never Loden. The invisible knives flew over Loden and landed on the stone wall protecting the truck. The six Enigmas combined created a large explosion that surprised Loden.

"No!" she cried as she watched the explosion go off.

Chunks of rock scattered from the barricade and Loden didn't know how breached her creation was. Violet landed on the warm stony ground left behind after Loden's attack and she deactivated her semblance. The fire dust within the rock was emitting an intense heat that Violet was feeling. It made touching rock and earth made from Loden's World Splitter dangerous. It was a frustrating yet ingenious way to apply dust to her weapon. This addition of fire dust also proved physical contact with the burning stone would only be harmful. Violet quickly got off the rock and placed her feet on the sand with a sigh of relief.

The smoke cleared and a good portion of the stone wall was destroyed. The left side of the earthy spires was broken apart, making the barrier look lopsided. Loden looked in astonishment at the lengths Violet went to get to Grayson. She needed to stop her. Keep her contained.

"Hey? Are you okay?" Sapphire asked Zelts who remained on the ground. She squatted down next to him and poked his chest to get some kind of reaction. He didn't budge but his eyes did turn to her.

"Not really. I don't want to fight you guys," he told her.

"Same here, but we have orders to escort Grayson to the kingdom and… you guys are trying to stop us."

"I'm just so tired of fighting all the time," he admitted. "It just seems like that's all we do now and I hate it."

Sapphire stared at her senior for some time before sitting down next to him. Her actions were confusing Zelts because he didn't know what she intended to do.

"I've always been kind of a slacker during class. It's not that different on missions either, but the others motivate me or nag me to work… They're a little busy right now, so I don't think they'll get on my case if I take it easy," Sapphire explained as she looked down at her friend.

Zelts was amazed Sapphire was respecting his plea to avoid fighting. It went against her mission and her team's wishes, but she was doing her best to console a friend. "So, how have you guys been?"

Swords collided multiple times as Remus and Ebony battled with Cerise watching intently from the sidelines. Ebony was having the time of her life facing the different VRSZ members. She only fought Violet briefly, but it was completely strategic and every move was important. Any misstep would lead to brutality. Fighting Remus, on the other hand, was like a release, letting loose your ferocity with no reserve or concern for the world around you. The different flavors of fighting within VRSZ was entertaining to her.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Remus was amazed by Ebony's combat skills. He didn't know what to expect, but she was keeping pace with him even as he sped up his strikes. Only a few people he knew could do this. She was a high-level boss in his terms. It also meant he couldn't ignore her and go after Grayson. She planned on taking his full attention.

Ebony was enjoying every second of it as she tried to strike Remus but he parried with the longer half of Delta while moving in to thrust the smaller half into her side. She made no move to block or evade because she knew the attack wouldn't reach her. Erecting out of nowhere, a small force field the size of a plate was constructed in front of Remus's sword and blocked the attack. Ebony used this interruption in his flow to changed her sword to a spear. She backed away while lifting the polearm so it would connect with Remus's chin, delivering an uppercut that hardly phased him. The Blue Flicker was about to blitz toward Ebony and overwhelm her, but before he could get a good running start, his head crashes into another barrier Cerise. He backed away only to feel a wall against his back, realizing Cerise created a small dome-shaped barrier to restrict his movements.

During her time at the academy, Cerise Sanguine has learned one very important thing; she was not made to fight on the frontlines like Sapphire and Loden. She shined in the support and defense, and disruptive area of battle. Her semblance made her the perfect person to keep allies safe so they could fight longer than the enemy. She was the leader that allowed her teammates to fight without worry.

With no other way out of the force field, Remus activated Checkpoint to teleport out of the trap and in front of Cerise. He needed to find a way to subdue her in a nonaggressive manner so her semblance wouldn't be a bother. The leader of Team CLSH looked at him with determined eyes and quickly pulled out a cherry bomb and Remus instinctively backed away. He looked to his left and saw Ebony with Trois Reines's scabbard rifle in hand. She fired with a suave expression and Remus brought his sword up to deflect it, but the force of the shot hitting his sword knocked him back further than he or Cerise thought and he collided with the burning stone dome covering the truck. His back was against the sweltering wall that burned him before he took a big leap forward.

"Sorry, cutie! Didn't mean to do that!" Ebony shouted with a playful tone.

 _"What kind of shots were those?"_ Remus thought as he felt his backside. He realized he was right next to the truck and could probably slice the rocky wall to rubble with Delta. He brought his swords back together and was about to hack away until Cerise threw the Runaway she was holding at his feet and it exploded with a flash of ice. Remus was partially encased in ice, but it hardly lasted a few seconds as a boulder the size of a head was hurled at him and slammed into his chest, knocking the ice and the wind out of him as he fell into the sand and laid eagle spread.

Loden accomplished while Violet went invisible a second time and tried to join forces with her sword-wielding companion. After knocking Remus down, Loden dug World Splitter into the ground and swung forward, sending a wave of rocks and stone her way. Violet felt the tremor and looked behind herself before jumping out of the way of the attack. The earthy wave slammed into the rocky barrier surrounding the truck, shaking the vehicle but not toppling it or disturbing its stationary position.

Violet got up and noticed Remus was slowly getting back up, Silver was returning to the battlefield with Hazel's drone in tow, and Zelts was nowhere to be seen, probably fighting Sapphire on his own. Regardless, the leader of VRSZ knew her team was in complete disarray and she needed to rectify it.

"Stay down and walk away," Cerise demanded her former senior. "You won. All of you won the battle for Fortuna. Everyone in Vacuo knows what you guys did. Your heroes! Isn't that enough? Let the kingdom do the dirty work so everyone can rest easy. He dies either way. Can't you be happy with that?"

Cerise's pleading eyes were staring into Violet's whose conviction to continue was beginning to waver. She was able to get rid of some pent-up aggression after a few rounds of battle. It helped her calm down a little and see things more clearly. Everything Cerise said made sense and began to see the futility of her efforts. Violet took a quick breath to show she was calm. Cerise dropped her guard and sighed as well. She was relieved to know Violet could still listen to reason.

While this was going on, Sapphire and Zelts were talking about the things they did, their friends, and about the current battle.

"I can't believe Silver learned how to fly," Sapphire said as she watched the gunslinger return to the others.

"Not really flight, but he can glide around. Baby steps," Zelts corrected as he sat on the ground with her. The atmosphere between them was friendly and different from the situation at hand.

"Still, it's pretty cool."

"Yeah. I wish I had his semblance," Zelts admitted.

"But, as flashy as Gravity is, Silver won't be able to handle Hazel if he stays on the defensive. My girl has been working harder than any of us to be useful in battle and you're about to see how. Watch.," Sapphire instructed Zelts who watched Hazel.

The faunus girl used the computer in her glasses to give the drones an order. The wasp drones flew towards their master and attached themselves to her. Two attached themselves to Hazel's arms and the third entered the Hive pack with its wings sticking out. Hazel used the drone in her pack to fly as she headed towards Silver.

"Can't I catch a break?!" the gunslinger cried in annoyance.

He soared to the others with Hazel hot on his tail she fired laser blasts from the drones attached to her arms and had lightning dust configured in her ammo in order to stun Silver instead of harming him. He kept his head forward when he came close to the truck. He saw Remus down and Violet on the ground. "What's going on over there?"

"Will you stop?" Cerise asked Violet with a forgiving smile.

The desire to kill Grayson was beginning to fade. The reasoning of her friend was enough to talk her out of her vengeful quest. And it worked, for a time. When Violet raised her head to look at Cerise, she saw the Charming Vantablack behind her. The black-haired girl with silver eyes looked at Violet with a grin and confident expression. It reminded Violet of all the times Ebony had beaten her.

Fortuna, Atlas, Corona, Fortuna again, and here as well. There hasn't been a single time in those encounters where Violet had bested Ebony in any fashion. Today was supposed to be the day she got the better of the Vantablack, but she was prepared to humbly surrender.

But that changed when Violet saw Ebony mouth a three-letter sentence.

"I win again."

The fury in her heart grew again.

 _"This is not how this will end! I won't let you beat us again!"_ the Violent Flower thought as she rose to her feet.

Cerise suspected nothing as Violet swiftly pulled out an Enigma and threw it between Cerise and Ebony. The young girl was shocked by this and turned to see what was happening, but the knife exploded, knocking Cerise forward while Ebony raised her arm to protect her face from the kicked-up sand.

Violet screamed out an order for her teammates to hear.

"FANTASIA!"

* * *

 **Even though Team VRSZ are the main characters, this volume feels like it's more of a story revolving Clair and Ebony. Most of the events in this volume have been because of these two, mostly Ebony. The story is more about each Vantablack are trying to achieve their goals and Team VRSZ is caught in the middle, helping both of them.**


	30. We're the Villains Now

In a metal hallway, the sound of a woman singing could be heard. Skipping and dancing down the hall with a large smile on her face. She was giddy, happy everything she planned for the past few months was going exactly as she thought it would. And now, she was reaching the end of her long endeavor. Once this final step was done, the Charming Vantablack wasn't sure what was going to happen next. Everything after today was up in the air and she was excited at the unknown, but now she needed to focus on the task. Ebony continued her merry way until she stopped in front of a metal door. She pulled out a key and used it to unlock the door then opened it, revealing a small room with a person inside, bound and chained to one of the walls. Blood smeared his tattered clothing, crouched down in the corner, and breathing raggedly was Grayson.

"Hello again!" the Charming Vantablack said with a big smile and a veil mocking tone. "Today's the day! You're finally going to perform a civic duty and play your part for the community. I don't know how long you've been living this life, so this may or may not be your first civic duty, but it's certainly your last."

The chained captive remained silent while keeping a solemn glare on his captor. Ebony turned her head sideways, playing the innocent fool and feigning hurt over his intense glare. It was short-lived as her expression changed to her usual look like she knew everything before anyone else. "Come now, you have nothing to say?"

"…" Grayson continued to be quiet while she continued.

"I may not be the person you want to spend your last few hours with, but I'm better than nothing. Do you remember the first time we met? My aunt hiring you and your merry band of thugs to do her dirty work and you gain Fortuna, only to lose it all. Your friends are gone. You have no more allies and all of Vacuo will celebrate your demise. It's true what they say: the higher you climb, the farther you fall."

"You don't stop talking, do you?" Grayson finally spoke. His throat was dry so his voice was hoarse.

"It happens in conversations when one refuses to talk," she said. "So, seeing as how you're going to die before the day ends, do you have any final words? I'll hear you out." Ebony told him and leaned against the wall opposite to his. He was bound and chained, but she wasn't going to take him lightly.

"We…haven't been around each other much," Grayson started.

"True," she agreed.

"And I've met a ton of different people in my life with different dispositions and goals. Every now and then, I meet people who have things in common with each other. You… were very hard to figure out…"

"I get that a lot," Ebony praised herself.

"I wasn't finished," Grayson told her and Ebony looked at him.

"You were very hard to figure out, at first. I don't know a whole lot about you, but there was one thing that I learned and understood; you'll do your best to achieve your goals no matter who or what stands in your way."

"It's called ambition."

"No, it's not. That's not what it is. I know what you are because I'm just like you in that regard. It's selfishness. You'll use everything and everyone to get what you want. I know it's true because I'm like that. It's exactly what I did."

A grin formed on Grayson's face while Ebony's slowly faded.

"We're the same,"

It was Ebony's turn to be silent. She stared at Grayson with a complicated look on her face like she was trying to solve a complex problem in her head and she was having trouble finding the solution. Grayson just kept smirking, basking in the joy of shutting up the Charming Vantablack.

"We're…not the same. I'm a cut above you. I'll learn from your mistakes so I don't end up in your situation… at least not yet. I'd rather die with my name known to all."

 _"Even if I have to become a monster to do it,"_

"Goodbye, Grayson. I enjoyed our chat, but this will be the last one we'll ever have," Ebony said before leaving the small cell.

Outside the cell, Ebony stood with her back against the cell door and she remembered what Grayson said.

 _"We're the same,"_

The thought of her being on the same level as Grayson in any way made her want to vomit.

 **Setting: Desert**

Violet Tulipe, Remus Cobalt, Silver Synch, and Zelts Allister. Each of them was incredibly powerful fighters on their own and they've gotten stronger as time passed and they experienced more of life. Every conflict, struggle, joyful endeavor, and fun experience helped them grow together and forged the powerful bond between them. That bond was always apparent when they were together, talking, sharing, just being in each other's lives, and in the midst of battle.

"FANTASIA!"

The order was shouted out like a rallying cry, heard by all in the vicinity. That single word shook the core of several people, three especially. The word let loose from Violet's lips and it caused Cerise and Ebony to shudder, but for very different reasons. Cerise was surprised and utterly shocked her friend chose to continue fighting, deceiving her about a peaceful armistice. Ebony, on the other hand, trembled with excitement and anticipation. This was what she wanted and she was getting it.

In the distance, the team attack was heard by Sapphire and Zelts who remained out of the conflict, but the latter rose to his feet. He had no idea what Violet was thinking anymore. Did she value the mission more than anything or anyone?

Remus and Silver, hearing the order sprung into action. They knew Violet didn't want to harm CLSH, just move them out of the way so they could accomplish their goal. And so, the two initiated Fantasia.

Violet slammed two wind Enigmas into the sand before her and the gust released from both of them picked up the sand around her violently, swirling around the area and nearly getting in the eyes of those around her. Ebony and Cerise shielded their eyes from the incoming sand while Loden was a little too slow. Some of the sand got in her eyes and she vigorously rubbed them, trying to get it out. As the small sandstorm ended, Violet vanished with a few tulip petals being carried in the wind. Ebony and Cerise looked around once the wind died down and found no trace of their opponent. Cerise was shocked while trying to pinpoint Violet's location while her employer looked on as a spectator.

Remus acted next. Being more familiar with Violet than anyone, he figured what she was going to do next. He activated Checkpoint, teleporting away from the three girls while also creating a blanket of blue fog to further obscure their vision. He jumped from the ground onto the top of the truck then Violet, from within the fog, threw her cable Enigma at him. He grabbed the cable attached to the knife and swung it as hard as he could, lifting Violet who was hanging onto the other end, before hurling her toward Silver and Hazel. Remus used Checkpoint again.

Silver kept his path toward the others with Hazel closing in behind him. He was moving out of the way of her laser blasts, but two were able to hit their mark, slowing his pace. Hazel was homing in on Silver, who was almost in arms reach, but her path was cut short by the sudden appearance of Remus who came out of nowhere in a cloud of blue smoke. His spontaneous arrival scared the faunus into abruptly stopping in her tracks and backing away to create some distance. Directly behind Silver, Remus lifted his legs up and Silver did the same until their feet were connecting. Remus used his legs to push Silver forward while he moved toward Hazel. The Blue Flicker put his sword on his back and stretched his arms wide as he tackled the girl into a bear hug, restraining her as best he can without harming her. The sudden move on his part confused Hazel long enough for her not to release the drones on her arms and they fell into the sand.

Still flying toward the truck, Silver found Violet still in the air when Remus threw her with the cable knife. She was going to collide with the gunslinger, but he lowered his flight path to get out of her way and grabbed the end of the cable she was still holding onto. He began to swing it around with Violet holding onto the other end with one hand while the other fished through her bag full of knives. With five fire Enigmas in her hand, Violet threw them at the top of the truck once she had a clear shot then did so again with another five knives.

All ten knives have pierced the roof of the transport truck and the combined dust in each of them created a large explosion, decimating the upper half of the vehicle and blowing away some of the rocks surrounding it. The explosion was not expected by the others. Even Zelts was forced to look on in awe and Sapphire finally stood up to witness everything. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was ajar. Ebony looked on in amazement but kept it hidden behind a vague neutral expression. Loden and Cerise were genuinely astonished, but Cerise was more devastated than the rest.

The breaching of the truck wasn't the end of Fantasia's sequence. Violet kept her hold on the cable knife on her end and so did Silver. He pulled the cable again, spinning Violet around a second time and she let go of her end, catapulting herself toward the truck and she crashed inside. The impact was hurtful, but her aura protected Violet from any actual harm. Silver landed on the ground before running to the truck and Loden did the same once she stopped looking in shock. Cerise remained still a bit longer before following her teammate. Ebony was the only one who stayed behind. She wanted to witness what was going to unfold.

Loden and Cerise were closer to the truck so they reached Violet and Grayson before Silver. Loden created more stones over the burning ones so she and Cerise could climb them without burning themselves. Silver finally reached the vehicle when the girls stood on the roof. He leaped above with Gravity and landed on the opposite side of the roof. Neither Cerise or Loden acknowledged his presence. Both girls were looking down with wide eyes and disgusted scowls. Silver looked down to see what happened and he soon had the same expression.

Inside the truck, Violet stood over Grayson who was still chained to the wall and his body was limp and lifeless with blood staining his clothes and the truck's wall and floor. There was no sign of movement. No breathing or anything.

Grayson was dead.

 _"Did she do it?"_ Silver thought.

Violet looked down on Grayson's body with a kukri in her hand, but there wasn't any blood on the weapon or her. Only the soles of her shoes were stained from the pool that formed around Grayson's body. Violet looked at Grayson's corpse with a miffed expression.

"Bastard bled to death," she said in a barely audible tone.

On closer inspection, she could see the blood was coming from his chest and she figured out happened. The wounds were from her slicing his body and Clair piercing his chest. They weren't going to heal anytime soon so they opened up and he died from blood loss.

Loden and Cerise continued to stare at the horrid sight and the latter realized Grayson's wounds most likely opened up during the vehicle's tumbling from VRSZ first attack. Everyone was so focused on capturing him that no one thought about his condition. It was a sad, lonely way to die, but Cerise was glad he was gone. Everyone was. However, Cerise was still disillusioned with Team VRSZ, specifically Violet who betrayed her trust and pretended to ceasefire just for the opportune moment. Even if Grayson died before they could reach him, it was clear they were still going to kill him despite their pleas.

Grayson died before any party could finish him. The mission was a failure for Team CLSH. It was a failure for the kingdom. Team VRSZ failed to exact their long-awaited revenge. The only winner in all of this was once again, Ebony Vantablack.

Frustrated than before, Violet let out a sigh before jumping out of the vehicle and landing next to Silver and across from Clair and Loden. The reddish-pink haired girl looked at Violet with a pained expression while Violet looked back with an angered one.

Their battles, their feud, their sacrifices just to get this far amounted to nothing thanks to Ebony and the kingdom. Even though Grayson was finally dead, Violet felt no absolution. It was all taken away from her. All that remained was the rage.

 _"Ebony Vantablack. Team CLSH. All extensions of that damn kingdom, who refused to help when Fortuna was destroyed, when Royal showed up, when Virago and Nexus needed their aid, and did nothing when Grayson took over Fortuna. We. Did. Everything!"_

"Hey, Vi. What's the game plan now? Do we go home or…" Silver asked, concerned with the situation at hand.

Anger still boiling, Violet glared at Cerise and Loden with such intensity it was like she was trying to burn holes into their faces. Cerise could see the two of them, but she had no idea who they were anymore. She knew VRSZ had been dealing with a lot of hardships but didn't think those ordeals would change the people she looked up to that much. How much has changed since they enrolled in Shade Academy?

In the background, Remus, Zelts, Hazel, and Sapphire looked at their teammates to see what was going to happen next. Each of them was held in suspense. Watching along with them was Ebony who was waiting for the moment she knew was coming.

The Violent Flower's anger was directed at the kingdom, but the only semblance of it in the vicinity was Team CLSH. She wanted the kingdom to know that they were not welcomed or wanted into her and her friend's lives. All they did was make things worse or try to take control of everything from them. Violet had finally had enough. She was at her tipping point.

A message needed to be delivered to the kingdom and Violet chose Cerise and her teams to be the messengers. Even though Cerise and the girls were friends, Violet's anger didn't discriminate and it held back none of its severity.

"STAY THE FUCK OUT OF OUR BUSINESS!"

The words echoed far and wide. Everyone heard what Violet said and everyone was at a loss for words. Silver was shocked she said that to them. Remus was in disbelief as well. He thought everyone would be okay once this was over, but he wasn't sure anymore. Zelts was the most disappointed in Violet. Enraged or not, she shouldn't have said that to their friends.

"I uh… think I gotta go…" Sapphire told Zelts before running toward her teammates. Hazel did the same and flew towards the others.

"Violet," Silver said, feeling like his leader had gone too far.

Violet's rage-filled eyes were starting to simmer down. She released everything she was feeling with that one sentence and she felt all frustration die down which was unfortunate. It was only after her declaration she realized what she said to her friends and acknowledged the look on their faces.

A face of betrayal was on Loden's face and it was shifting towards discontent. Next to her was the girl who admired Violet the most and her eyes were welling up with tears. She was desperately fighting back the urge to cry on the spot. Swallowing the pain in her throat, Cerise turned away from Violet and Silver.

"Cerise I-" Violet started but Cerise interrupted.

"Don't worry. We'll stay away from you guys from now on. Team VRSZ's affairs are theirs alone. Let's go home," Cerise tells Loden. She gets down from the truck before her friend could answer. Loden was going to protest, but she didn't know what she was going to say. There was no reason for them to stay here any longer. Glancing at Violet and Silver with disdain, she followed her leader.

She watched the two girls walk away. Violet had no idea what she could say to make things better. Simply saying she didn't mean it when she clearly did was not enough. There was nothing she could say. Sapphire and Hazel joined the two and the entire team walked away. She understood immediately that Team CLSH stopped looking up to them and probably no longer saw them as friends. Violet hoped the latter wasn't true but was a thing was. A rift was formed between Team VRSZ and Team CLSH.

Awaiting Team CLSH was Ebony who welcomed them back with open arms and told them not to worry too much about the failure of their mission. She guided them towards the kingdom that was still quite a distance away, leaving VRSZ on the battlefield.

 _"Thank you, Violet. Your outburst was the final catalyst I needed. My plan came full circle. Let's see what happens next together,"_ Ebony thought to herself.

 **Setting: Nexus**

The drive back to Nexus was completely silent. Nothing was said between any of them while much needed to be talked about. Violet felt everyone wanted to berate her for her poor choice of words which she didn't deny. This was all her fault for directing her anger at the group of young girls. She was waiting for her well-deserved earful when they reached home.

Silver did feel like yelling at Violet, but realized it wouldn't undo everything that happened. Remus was just sad with the outcome of the mission and the loss of their friends. Zelts came to a decision about something he was thinking of for a while and he waited for the right moment to tell the others.

The team returned to Nexus where workers were still repairing damaged buildings and drove back home. Silent the whole way back, each of them was flabbergasted to see a cheery Clair greeting them when they opened the front door.

"Hey, guys! How did everything go?" she asked in high spirits.

"Uh…" Silver started, not sure how to explain this without bringing the mood down.

"We'll tell you later," Violet told her friend. "What are you so happy about? I thought you wanted to stay in bed all day."

"I did until Evergreen called," she explained and Silver perked up a bit when he heard the name of his favorite singer. "She heard about what happened and asked if she could hold a concert here to raise profits for the town's reconstruction. She'll be here in a few days so we're getting everything ready. This is amazing!" Clair was beaming with joy which was offsetting the team's gloom.

"I'm glad to hear the good news," Zelts told her with a forced smile. "You must be very excited to see Evergreen again."

"It's been a while since we've been on any semblance of a date. Our work keeps us so busy. I can't wait to show her around," she explained with flushed cheeks.

After she finished fawning over her girlfriend, Clair got a good look at Team VRSZ and noticed how down they looked. She could tell her friends have been through a lot these past few days.

"I think you guys should relax for the rest of the day. Lay down, get some sleep, tell me everything that happened afterward. Just make sure you guys are feeling well." The concern she showed was appreciated by the others. It showed they still had friends here who had their backs.

"Thanks, Clair. I really need to lie down and think about a few things," Violet said before slowly walking to her room.

"Me too. I've got a lot on my mind," Zelts said before walking to his room as well.

Remus did the same as them, but Silver walked to the living room and fell onto the couch, choosing it as his resting place. Watching him, Clair took a seat beside him and started playing with his silver streak of hair. It was calming.

"How was the mission? If you don't want to tell me yet, I understand," Clair told him.

Silver looked at her and sighed. "It's a sad story."

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

The sun fell hours ago as the news was bustling throughout the kingdom and Vacuo as a whole. It became known to everyone; Grayson was dead. His death caused many to celebrate but it also brought unrest for some. It was a damaging blow to the kingdom's reputation to have their execution ruined by Team VRSZ. Many citizens were fed up with their inability to bring stability to their home. The thwarted execution also brought a new perspective of Nexus's team. While some people still viewed them as heroes, others began to see them as vigilantes or villains in their own right. Despite their failure, the kingdom of Vacuo, specifically Shade Academy, was the central power of Vacuo and VRSZ's outright disregard for them could not be ignored by anyone. It made people wonder if they were going to one day oppose the kingdom. Tensions were on the rise.

Outside the kingdom was Ebony's airship and within was the three-man retinue doing their own thing. Brenton flew the ship to the kingdom after Ebony's mission and he spent the day traversing the streets until nightfall. Afterward, he took respite in his bedroom. Not only was his long stroll tiring, but Ebony's constant advances were even more taxing to the lizard faunus. He didn't find it appropriate so he secluded himself to his room, his only safe place. The lady giving the King of Flames a hard time was in the kitchen where she was pouring herself a glass of white wine, a treat she gives herself for a job well done. She took the glass to the common area where her chessboard was and sat in the chair on the left side of the table.

The chess game she was playing was done. The black pieces have beaten the white pieces.

"Everything has gone exactly as I thought it would," she said aloud. Ebony was alone in the common area, but she felt the presence of another in the vicinity. Walking into the common area was Zinnia whose eyes were on her liege and friend. Her face had a calm look, but something else was hidden beneath the exterior.

"Come now. You're my confidant. If you have anything you want to ask, you can tell me," Ebony told Zinnia, reading her like an open book.

The Paragon wasn't surprised by her sharp eyes. Ebony seemed to be able to see through everything.

"I can't see through everything. You just make it obvious," the Vantablack said.

"Stop that," Zinnia told her and Ebony chuckled.

"Sorry! Sorry. I'm digressing. What did you come here for?"

"Can I ask why you did all this? It seems like you're trying to lead VRSZ somewhere but I don't know where exactly. Everything you've done ends with them, right?" Zinnia asked, curious to hear Ebony's response.

"Well, it would appear that my plans revolve around Team VRSZ, but they have nothing to do with my desires. Although they have my favor, they are nothing more than pawns needed to progress my own interests. They were essential, but they were a means to an end and they played their role perfectly," Ebony admitted with a grin.

Processing this was an easy task, but Zinnia did wonder what the goal was. After everything they've done, what was it for?

"My true aim was never Violet and her team. They've been the instruments of my true adversary; the kingdom of Vacuo," Ebony stated.

Zinnia was shocked at first, but she started to look back at everything they did. The incidents with Royal and Grayson and Ebony's independent actions were meant to show just how poorly the kingdom has been dealing with civil matters. The citizens of the kingdom and denizens of other settlements have been uneasy for some time. Raising VRSZ's popularity while bringing down the kingdom's reliability. It was underhanded and cunning.

"And the battle between VRSZ and CLSH was the last stage in your plan," Zinnia stated, understanding everything Ebony has done.

"You catch on quick. You're right about the last battle, but it also served two other purposes. I needed a rift to form between VRSZ and the only members of the kingdom that viewed them as allies and the constant intrusion of the kingdom have no doubt whittled away any tolerance VRSZ had with them. The chances of Team VRSZ coming to the kingdom's aid is extremely low and vice versa," Ebony explained to a slightly surprised Zinnia.

"What happens next?" Zinnia asked.

"Reform. We'll help rebuild Vacuo from scratch, satisfying the citizens while also winning their favor. It'll lead to a civil revolution, removing the incompetent from power for others to take their place."

"And the one to take over, is you?"

"I am not like Clair. I have no desire to rule a kingdom. It's too busy and I like my free time. I will follow in the footsteps of other Vantablacks and help in the background, well, scratch that. I want people to know I helped them. We'll be seen as instrumental heroes to the kingdom and the rest of Remnant once this closing of borders thing is over and our names will echo through Vacuo's history."

The Paragon was able to follow everything at first, but hearing the entire plan left her feeling amazed at Ebony's ambition. All of this to be on the pages of Remnant's history. She wanted to be remembered and she intended to make that happen.

"A grand idea, don't you think?" Ebony asked Zinnia with a flushed face. She felt great finally revealing her plan to someone after all this time.

"…No fighting will come from this, right? No one's going to suffer at our hands?" Zinnia asked. Above all else, Zinnia Vantablack was a believer of peace. She left Atlas in order to help others. Starting a civil war didn't sit well with her.

"I won't lie to you. I want my name to be known and how it happens is up in the air for me. Right now, I'll do it the peaceful and just way and I'm counting on you to keep me from veering off that path."

"Yes, Ebony," Zinnia responded and Ebony chuckled.

"Finally got you to drop the 'Lady' when you talk to me. Good."

"So, what's next?"

"I've already thought of everything to get up to this point. What the future has in store for us now is beyond me. We'll tackle every challenge as it comes along. For now, let's enjoy a little reprieve. You guys earned it," Ebony told Zinnia, waving her off to get some sleep.

With a smile and a bow, Zinnia left for her quarters, leaving Ebony to take a sip of her wine and look at the night sky. She found the fractured moon beautiful and a good representation of the kingdom's state. She also saw it as her chance to mend the kingdom.

"It all begins now."

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

Sleep alluded Violet who sat in her bed with a worried face. She was thinking back on everything that happened hours ago and how she messed up with Team CLSH. All those negative thoughts were keeping her up and she couldn't stop thinking about them.

She reached for her dresser and grabbed her scroll. She thought about calling or texting Cerise but figured she wouldn't want to talk to her. With a reluctant sigh, Violet placed her scroll back on the dresser.

The quiet atmosphere was suffocating to her, but its hold on her windpipe loosened when she heard a knock on her door.

"Who's up at this hour… besides me?" she thought before getting out of bed.

Opening her bedroom door, Violet came face to face with Zelts. The man was in his sleeping clothes but he didn't look tired in the slightest. She wondered if he was up for the same reason she was.

"Hey, Zelts. Why are you-

"There's something I that's been on my mind for a while and I wanted to talk to you about it," he interrupted.

"Uh, ok. What is it?" Violet asked welcoming him into her bedroom so they could talk in private.

Zelts sat down on her bed and closed his eyes.

"This was a hard decision to make. And I thought about this for the longest time, but it doesn't make what I'm about to say any easier."

"Zelts, what are you trying to tell me?" Violet asked, concerned her friend was having some kind of crisis.

The Knight of the Wind sighed before looking at one of his closest friends with sad eyes.

"I can't do this anymore. I want out of Team VRSZ."


	31. Interlude

**A/N: This chapter is being uploaded faster than usual because of time restraints. I'll soon be going on a long vacation and I'll have voiceover work afterward. So, I probably won't update another chapter this month, but I'll still find time to write them.**

 **Also, I'd like to acknowledge JamesFames and his new OC story, Team LNTC as well as Gracekim20 whose working on her next RWBY crossover story which includes Team VRSZ.**

* * *

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

The atmosphere in the building was thick. Emotions of all kind were running wild as Zelts explained to everyone what he told Violet last night. The two of them gathered everyone in the living room first thing in the morning to inform them of Zelts's decision. There was no other way to say it. Remus, Silver, and Clair were devastated to hear their friend wanting to leave. It hit others harder than most.

The coffee table in the middle of the room was kicked over. Zelts sat in the loveseat with a sad expression with Violet standing beside him for support. Remus and Clair were together on the couch while Silver stood with his foot up after knocking the table over. The anger and betrayal he felt overtook him as he glared at Zelts who remained unfazed. Having a similar reaction to the news a few hours ago, Violet understood where the gunslinger was coming from. Clair was concerned a fight might break out or more of her furniture was going to be damaged. Remus was still taking in Zelts's decision. It was hard for the young Cobalt who has known and relied on him for most of his life.

"Did that calm you down?" Violet asked Silver after he kicked the table. His eyes glanced over at her but quickly returned to Zelts who continued to look on in silence. He wasn't going to defend himself. He planned on taking on all of Silver's anger.

"Of course not! How could you think of leaving us?! After everything we've been through?!" he screamed at Zelts.

"This wasn't something I just thought of overnight," Zelts told his enraged friend. "I've been struggling with this decision for some time and-"

"Bullshit!" Silver shouted.

"Silver!" Violet shouted at him for his outburst. It wasn't necessary. Silver kept his mouth shut so Zelts could continue.

"Certain events have made it clear that I can't do this forever. None of us can. Can any of you honestly say you want to live this life forever?"

Silver kept his glare on Zelts while thinking about his question. He rolled his eyes and sighed as his response. In a way, Zelts was right. They couldn't do this for the rest of their lives. And if events like what happened these past few weeks occur again; Silver wasn't sure if they'd prevail every time.

With a perplexed look on his face, Remus had a hard time accepting Zelts's words. In truth, Remus believed they could do this for the rest of their lives. It was the only thing he knew best and the only thing he knew after meeting with everyone. It was fun to him and it brought them all together, forging a familial bond between them. Dr. Lupa told him not to be consumed with fighting. To never become the Delta she previously desired, but no fighting at all was unthinkable to Remus.

 _"What am I going to do if…"_ Remus stopped there he didn't want to think about it.

The room was quiet after Zelts's inquiry. No one knew what to say next. Instead of words, the next thing that happened arrived in the form of Silver walking out of the living room and through the front door. Where he was going was anyone's guess. His departure did nothing to lighten the tension. Zelts looked down in disappointment in himself. He felt he could've handled this better.

A reassuring hand was placed on his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. Zelts looked up to see Violet with a faint smile. "He's just upset you're leaving. That's it. He'll come around. Silver just needs time. Trust me."

It was only a flicker, but Zelts showed a faint smile. He was glad Violet was by his side. She was less defiant than Silver when he first told her his request, but her understanding made him feel so much better. He wondered how Remus was processing this. The young Cobalt hadn't said a word this entire time and he sat on the couch with a blank stare.

 _"It's probably going to take him a while too,"_ Zelts thought.

"I think I'll leave you all to discuss things," Clair said as she rose from her spot on the couch, "I have to oversee things for Evergreen's concert." The Lady of Nexus walked toward Zelts and knelt before him. "You have earned this. All of you have. If you do decide to go, let me know. I'll have someone pilot my airship and take you to Lily."

"Thank you," he said with a gratified smile and she smiled herself. Clair walked out of the house, leaving the three members to themselves. It was Violet's turn to look at Remus who was in his world, trying to fathom what was going to happen after Zelts left. And would the others go when their time came? He was afraid of being left alone.

It was hard for him not to think about the worse, but it stopped when he felt someone's arm around him. He looked over to see Violet's purple eyes stare into his amber eyes. Being this close in front of Zelts made his heart flutter and a slight blush crept onto his face when she pressed her forehead against his.

"It's going to be all right," she said in a low tone. "Zelts doesn't plan to leave right now. Getting his stuff in order is going to take time and he's not going to leave us at the drop of a hat. This will take a few weeks at most. Besides, he'll come to visit as often as he can, right?" she looked toward the man in question and he nodded. Remus was still staring at Violet, only flicking his eyes to Zelts for a second before returning to her. The proximity between them was burning his insides and he couldn't muster a word. As a reply, he just nodded. She smiled at him.

"Good." Violet turned to Zelts to speak to him. "After everything that's happened and because of your choice to move in with Lily in Patch, I decided Team VRSZ will be taking a break from missions that require combat. I think it's best if we all have some kind of reprieve. Is that okay with you guys?"

"Y-yeah," Remus replied, feeling his fears were beginning to take form.

"Sure," Zelts answered.

'I'll let Silver know," she said as she pulled out her scroll and used it to text him the details. "Don't let him get you down, Zelts. He's just really sad to see you go."

"I figured. Still doesn't make this easy."

"For now, all of us should focus on relaxing and the concert."

Zelts got up from his seat. "All right. I think I'm going for a walk to clear my head. This was a little stressful."

"Don't let us stop you," Violet replied and he left.

Now the only two left in the house, Violet got closer to Remus and wrapped both her arms around him. With no one else in the house, she was free to show her affections for him. Concern was written all over her face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He reached up and grabbed one of Violet's arms. "I don't want Zelts to go," Remus said with sorrowful eyes. It was a selfish thing to say, but Violet wanted to say the same thing.

"I know how you feel, but Zelts has been in turmoil thinking about this for so long. And I don't blame him. If he stayed with us and we kept doing what we've been doing, he'd be miserable. None of us want that, right?"

"…Yeah. I know," he replied. Violet kissed him on the cheek and Remus looked her way. She hoped it would cheer him up and she pecked him again for her pleasure, pressing her lips against his. Remus was stunned by the last one. It didn't dissuade his grief but it took him by surprise.

"Zelts wants to be together with Lily the same way we like being together, understand?"

The last kiss left the Blue Flicker in a partially dazed state. His eyes almost seemed glazed over and it didn't look like he comprehended what Violet said, but he did respond with a nod, a gesture that made her smile. She got up and took hold of his hand, pulling him off the couch.

"Come on, let's go out and find something to do," she told him as they left the now-vacant home.

Evergreen's concert was in four days and all of Nexus's citizens waited with anticipation. The publicity for the singer's concert to help support Nexus garnered others from different parts of Vacuo to come to the settlement. Many were there to see Evergreen while a few made donations. Tourists and outsiders were bustling through the town, helping Clair's vision of Nexus being the crossroads of Vacuo. Business from small shops to restaurants were booming and the profits rose exponentially. Clair and the other council members made sure most of the revenue went to Virago so their sister settlement could flourish once again.

Clair was happy with the turnout and the money it brought. She even ran into Onyx and C.P. who told her they made a great profit selling a project they've been working on for months. She had no idea what it was, but she was glad to see their smiling faces and her cousins getting along. With everything progressing a little faster than expected, Clair spread her generosity to the construction workers around Nexus, informing them that they could stop working and enjoy the concert when the day arrived. She was keeping her vow to Sterling. She was going to make Nexus the settlement she needed it to be.

The first day went by with Zelts telling everyone he was going to retire from VRSZ and live with Lily in Vale. Silver left and he hasn't returned to the duplex for the rest of the day. Zelts spent his time outside to decompress and Violet took Remus around the town as well to find something to do. One thing all of them noticed was the surrounding citizens taking notice of them. Their recent feats have gained the respect and admiration of the people of Nexus. It was a new sensation that all of them would have to get used to.

They did encounter Blood who was now living in a building with Azura, Bianca, and Ghost. The bat faunus waited for their return so he could apologize for everything he's done after the destruction of Fortuna. Violet accepted it, but Remus said he would only accept if Blood battled him again to clear his head and have some form of the good old days. Blood agreed and the three of them took the battle outside Nexus. Violet stood to the sidelines to witness their fight and it was a spectacular one. Remus was holding his own against Blood, using his speed and semblance to avoid Blood's Paralysis, and the bat faunus was fortunate Remus held no grudge against him. Their fighting eventually attracted Azura who wanted to join, leading to a battle-royale with no clear winner. All Violet could say was everyone seemed to be having a good time.

The second day wasn't as eventful as the first. Life went on as it usually does for everyone. Silver finally returned home, but he didn't say a word to Zelts, even when the knight tried to initiate a conversation. It was clear the relationship between them was strained. One other thing that happened was Solis arriving at the VRSZ Duplex. He asked Violet if she wanted to go to the concert with him. Remus was immediately agitated with the man but felt better when Violet turned him down, saying she wanted to go to the concert with her teammates only. Later that day, Violet told Remus they were going to the concert as a date, something she planned from the start.

The next day was met with the arrival of two individuals. The first was Evergreen who arrived with her tour group. She was met with Clair and the two embraced each other before following up with a passionate kiss. This display was public as people watched in awe. The relationship between Clair and Evergreen spread like wildfire and it only made the popularity of the singer and Nexus skyrocket. Evergreen was introduced to Team VRSZ as Clair's girlfriend. Silver was in a much better mood now that his favorite singer was in his home, but was still keeping his distance from Zelts. The second person to visit the team was Saffron. She came to deliver on her promise to reward the team for taking down Royal. First, she told them that the men of VRSZ were free to come to Virago without the need for collars. This was great for them, but Violet was going to miss it. The second reward was a considerable amount of Lien for their services. With Virago in need of reconstruction, Violet turned down the money, but Saffron assured her it was from her stock of Lien and that it was seen as rude not to take a gift from a Virago warrior.

With the passing days, Violet was having a pressing time contacting Team CLSH. Was it better for her to wait this long? Or should she have called them already? Did she miss her chance? These questions kept popping up, but she pushed them aside for one minute, giving her the time to send Cerise a text.

 _Hey. Can we talk?_

She sent her request and waited for a response. Nothing ever came. Violet accepted Cerise's silent answer.

 **Setting: Evergreen Concert**

The day finally arrived for Evergreen's concert. Droves of people flooded Nexus as they walked toward the stage constructed outside the town to accommodate the massive crowd. Everyone waited with anticipation for Evergreen to show up on stage. At the front of the crowd was a group consisting of Team VRSZ and the Enforcers. Thanks to Clair's connection with Evergreen, they were able to have front-row seats.

Violet stood with Remus by her side. The two of them were holding hands without the others noticing. Ghost was with Azura and Blood while his sister was beside them, scolding Silver for his behavior these past four days. She hated how he was refusing to tell Zelts what he told her. Bianca told him he needed to grow a pair and tell the person he considered his brother how he felt. Zelts was with them as well, but he wasn't as ecstatic about the concert like the rest of the crowd. Silver's silence these days has taken a heavy toll on him. He felt like he was abandoning his family.

A strong punch was delivered to Silver's arm by Bianca. "Talk to him," she growled under her breath before shoving him into Zelts. The gunman crashed into Zelt's shoulder then backed away quickly. Zelts looked at Silver when he bumped into him, but the gunman kept his eyes on the floor.

"You're going to miss the concert if you stay like that," he told Silver as a joke. He wanted to create some levity between them. Anything to get Silver talking to him again. They stood there for a few seconds before Silver sighed.

"Hey… uh. Listen, man. I'm… I'm," Silver was trying to muster the words, but thinking about Zelts leaving weighed on his heart and he was fighting the urge to accept it. He figured if he denied the reality, it would somehow revert to the way things were. It was childish. Silver knew that, but he didn't want Zelts to leave. He thought back to what Bianca told him days ago.

 _"How you feel if you wanted to live your life with me, but Zelts was against it?"_

"I'm… sorry… about everything," he finally admitted. It was a hard pill for him to swallow, but if their roles were reversed, Silver would want Zelts to be okay with his choice. "It was stupid to act like this. If anything, I'm happy for you… it's just…"

An arm wrapped around his shoulder, Zelts pulled Silver to his side with a forgiving grin on his face. "I know. I don't want to leave you guys either. This was a hard decision with no easy answer, but I had to follow my heart and it said, Lily."

"I get it. If it came down to living with the gang or living with Bianca… I understand what you've been going through. Sorry, I've been acting like an ass. So not cool."

"Don't worry about it. You are kind of always an ass," Zelts joked to show there were no hard feelings and Silver chuckled. Bianca and the others watched in silence, glad to see the gold and silver duo were friends again.

"And I'm not going anywhere yet, so stop pouting."

"Right. And don't worry about missions involving combat. We can handle ourselves," Silver assured him, but Zelts was confused.

"Listen, I may not like fighting, but I'm not going to stay behind and leave you guys to head into danger on your own. All the fighting we did these last few days have been taxing and were a big part of my decision, but I'll still help you all out on missions like the old days. As long as nothing like Royal, Grayson, Ebony, and CLSH happen for a while."

"It's good to know you have our backs through thick and thin."

"Wouldn't be much of a shield if I couldn't protect you guys," Zelt smirked at the Silver-Tongued Gunslinger.

"True, but we're gonna try and keep the stress off of you. And we're not taking no for an answer. Got it?" Silver told him with a smirk of his own. Zelts nodded in agreement.

The air was clear among all the friends and just in time too. The concert was beginning to start. Walking onto the stage was the singer everybody came to see, Evergreen, and she arrived with Clair by her side and holding hands. Their relationship made the crowd roar with excitement.

"Thank you all for coming to this concert!" Evergreen told the crowd. "And thank you for all your support for Nexus! This settlement and its sister town, Virago, has been deeply affected by bandits, tyrants, you name it. Both have been able to remain intact thanks to all the help they received from neighboring towns and generous people like you." Her words were met with applause and cheers.

"Clair, my moonlight, has been telling me constantly how grateful she is to everyone here and would like to thank you with a special gift! A duet song from both of us!" The crowd was getting louder with the promise of a song from their favorite singer and her girlfriend.

Bianca and Violet could tell from Clair's face she was exhilarated, embarrassed, and nervous at the same time. But they could tell she was having a great time with Evergreen. The two were inseparable ever since she arrived.

"Ready, Moonlight?" Evergreen asked with smitten eyes.

"Yes, Ever," Clair answered with a besotted face.

"Let's start the show!" Evergreen shouted and the concert began.

Just as she promised, Clair sang a duet song with Evergreen. It was an upbeat romantic song that pulled on everyone's heartstrings. It was especially potent when Clair activated Songstress to enthrall the crowd. No one watched without feeling something burgeoning within their breast. Not even the retinue upfront was safe. Silver and Bianca held each other in a gentle embrace. Violet and Remus were much closer together than ordinary friends should, but it wasn't noticed by the others who were too enraptured by the lovers on stage. Violet rested her head on his shoulder while Remus held her hand with the fingers intertwined. They were swaying back and forth, treasuring the closeness between them.

The song ended with Clair and Evergreen kissing each other and cheers were heard afterward with a demand for an encore at the end. Indulging the people, the two performed two more songs before Clair exited the stage and Evergreen performed a multitude of other songs for the crowd to enjoy. Clair stayed backstage as she watched Evergreen perform, proud of her lover and the direction Nexus was going. The entire event lasted for hours as the afternoon sun was replaced with the soothing moon. Even with the end of the concert, people were still lingered around the stage, talking amongst themselves about the amazing time they had before departing.

Still feeling romantic after the concert, Silver went to the Enforcers' building to spend the night with Bianca. Blood and Azura walked with them, but Ghost walked to the VRSZ Duplex with Violet, Remus, and Zelts. He didn't plan on being around when Silver and Bianca got _busy_. When they arrived, he took Silver's room and slept there while the others had dinner. Clair and Evergreen arrived two hours later and they thanked VRSZ for attending before heading up to Clair's bedroom. It was obvious to Zelts and Violet what the couple had planned to do for the night, but flew over Remus's head. The relationship between Clair and Evergreen did make Zelts yearn for Lily more than before and it made Violet happy to see her friends happy. They were able to help perk her up after everything they've been through recently.

And the day ended with everyone in Nexus sleeping peacefully.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

The breaking of dawn was met with Zinnia making herself breakfast. The light of the sun helped show the beads of sweat glistening all over her body. Her morning routine always started with early workouts then breakfast. The disciplined woman took pride in following her schedule every single day. Right now, she was in the kitchen putting fruits into a blender with a case of protein powder next to it.

Across from her was Brenton who was cracking a couple of eggs and dropping the yolks into two frying pans so the both of them could share. Without even knowing it, the two of them developed a friendship and mutual respect for one another. Living in the same facility and fighting together can help people form bonds quickly.

The scene was almost perfect. The only thing missing was the owner of the airship, Ebony. Usually, Zinnia and Brenton would hear a loud yawn with their leader trekking into the common area like a zombie and her hair completely disheveled. However, she was nowhere to be seen.

"Have you seen her anywhere?" Brenton asked Zinnia, not taking his eyes off the egg he just cracked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. You think she's still in bed?" Zinnia asked, waiting for the conversation to be done so she could turn on the blender.

"If she is, then she'd better wake up soon. I'm not cooking any more eggs," he told her. Though Ebony was their leader, her disposition out of work made Brenton see her like family and he could talk to her that way too. She had an interesting effect on people. His comment was met with a light chuckle. Zinnia did like the amusing back and forth between her liege and the lizard faunus.

Their conversation was cut short when they heard Ebony cheering and hollering as she entered the common area. She was already dressed and jumping up and down like she was a toddler again. The sight was unusual, but not something Zinnia and Brenton didn't expect from her.

"You're up early," Zinnia commented, letting Ebony know they were in the room with her.

The Charming Vantablack didn't seem to answer her. She was in her little world as she beamed and said, "It's here! It's finally here!"

"What's here?" Zinnia asked as she walked over to Ebony.

"Something I ordered a few days ago. It's going to help us with the rest of my plans!" Her excitement couldn't be silenced as she danced on the balls of her feet. She raised her hand to Zinnia's chest, telling her to stay here as she left.

"What do you think she bought? New weapons?" Brenton asked his colleague.

Zinnia crossed her arms and said, "I don't know…"

Metal scraped against the metal floor and it got louder and louder. The earsplitting sound was grating to the ears. Zinnia and Brenton clenched their teeth and covered their ears as Ebony returned. "I bought something to replace Blood and refill our ranks."

Standing next to Ebony, more like towering over Ebony, was a large android. It looked like an Atlesian droid from Atlas. White plating around the body with a black visor for a face, but it was much taller. The limbs were bigger as well, making it seem much more resilient than the more recent droids deployed by the kingdom, but the body was lean, giving off the impression its boost in strength didn't cause a decrease in agility.

 _"Where did she get that?"_ Zinnia thought.

 _"How did she push that thing here all by herself?"_ Brenton wondered.

"Allow me to introduce you all to the newest addition to my Champions, Monochrome!" Ebony said proudly as she pressed a button on a device, but nothing happened. She pressed it again, looking at her new android but was met with no reaction. She pulled out a small but from her back pocket.

"I'll reintroduce him as soon as I figure out how to activate him," she grumbled immaturely.

 **Chapter 32: The Chronicles of Monochrome**

* * *

 **This chapter feels like I reached the halfway point with this story and it's been a wild ride.**

 **The return of Evergreen has brought about new songs for the story. The first is a theme song for the final volume itself. Lifelight (Cover): Casey Lee Williams. The lyrics of colors coming together and preparing for battle represent Team VRSZ very well. Most of their story includes coming into contact with a wide number of people and fighting. The story started with just violet and now there's an entire roster of characters.**

 **Another is one that is long overdue and it's for Brenton, the King of Flames himself. The Phoenix: Fall Out Boy. Besides the affiliation with fire, the lyrics in this song does a good job describing Brenton's dislike of Royal, his belief Corona needed to start over, and his battle-oriented lifestyle. It also explains his new goal to put an end to other tyrants before another 'Royal' shows up. **

**The next songs are new theme songs of Team VRSZ.**

 **Violet Tulipe: Brave Shine (Cover): Sapphire & Last Stardust (Cover): Amalee**

 **Remus Cobalt: Rise: Glitch Mob, Mako, and The Word Alive**

 **Silver Synch: What's Up Danger: Black Caviar/Blackway**

 **Zelts Allister: Triumph: Final Fantasy XIV (Stormblood)**

 **Violet's receives two songs and they're from the same series. Brave Shine is a song that describes how Violet feels about the negative moments of her life. She reflects on them a lot and it weighs her down sometimes even if she doesn't admit it. The lyrics to the song also portray how her life has been much better with the other members of Team VRSZ being a part of it. The 'You' in the song could refer to any of them. Brave Shine displays Violet's weaker, more vulnerable side and how Remus, Silver, and Zelts saved her life by always being there for her.**

 **Last Stardust is the song showing a side Violet hasn't shown to the others. It describes how she is more than ready to sacrifice herself for the ones she loves and bear their burdens as her own. But it also describes how there's a part of her that thinks the life she's led so far will end tragically or bittersweetly, yet she accepts it. Lines such as 'Scar-covered heart' and 'Color will always exist' fit Violet's character perfectly to me. The inclusion of 'Brave Shine' in the song shows how she believes one way she'll die is by sacrificing herself for her team. Or that they'll be the ones to take her out of this mentality.**

 **A song for a video game seems like the perfect fit for Remus. Rise is a song that explains Remus's drive to keep getting stronger for the sake of his team. It also tickles on the fact there's still a desire for him to be the Delta so he can attain the highest point he can reach. Combat has been a part of his whole life as well as his heritage, so this song is the combination of Remus wanting to get stronger and embracing being a member of the Cobalt Clan like Azura. Also, League of Legends is a game Remus would play and love.**

 **What's Up Danger plays on Silver's criminal side and his free-spirited disposition. While not a gang member or a crook anymore, that part of Silver had a role in defining his identity. Now he's more of a rebel and the lyrics of this song show that clearly. Despite his personality, Silver is a loyal friend and will put those he cherishes before himself. This song is an OST from SpiderMan: Into the Spider-Verse and I can see Silver moving and jumping around New York with his semblance. If the members of VRSZ were in the real world, New York would be where Silver lives.**

 **Triumph is a song with lyrics that describe Zelts new situation. Even though he wants to leave Team VRSZ, he still sees them as his family and will come to their aid whenever they need him. 'Raise your weary head! Heed the call to arms! Ringing in your heart!' is the set of lyrics for him. No matter how far away he is, he'll come running if the others are in danger. The epic music in the song fits well with Zelts going all-out with Conversion. Even the name, Stormblood, fits with the destructiveness his weapons. And just like the tank of an FFXIV party, he's the tank of Team VRSZ.**


	32. The Life and Times of Monochrome

**Several Months Ago**

 **Setting: Nexus**

In a barren area of Vacuo's desert, a small site was filled with bustling people. This was Nexus in the beginning stage of its creation. The buildings around them were very few with most of them incomplete and currently under construction. Workers were unloading wood, bricks, and pieces of metal plating that were meant to be their building material. Most of the residence were workers and they were busy doing their job while the very few denizens lived here, going about their daily lives or trying to in this cramped space. One person, in particular, was walking through the underdeveloped town in a huff. Kicking up sand with every step was the man who needs no introduction because no one cares to give him one, Copper Periwinkle Vantablack. Breathing and heaving roughly to show how upset he was, C.P. pressed on to have a word with a certain someone.

There were presently eight whole buildings. One of them was the council building, the first structure to be constructed, and inside was the nerve center of Nexus was the brains behind the operation, Clair de Lune Vantablack. At the moment, she was going over a considerably large stack of paperwork. It all had to do with her Nexus project. Reviewing construction reports while approving others for certain buildings to be made while also trying to write letters, requesting other settlements to partake in the Nexus project. The work never ended and Clair was exhausted. Her hair was unraveled, her eyes were slightly sunken with bags underneath them, and she looked like if she stopped working, she would collapse. Having worked for four days without sleep has taken a toll on the future Lady of Nexus.

Eyelids weighing down on her, Clair fought against the urge to sleep, but it was a losing battle. She was about to close her eyes until she heard the door to her office smack against the wall. The loud unexpected sound made her jump out of her chair and widen her eyes. She looked to see who it was and found her cousin staring at her. Seeing C.P. enter her office, Clair could only sigh and wonder what her cousin could want.

"What is it, C.P.? Make it quick. I have a lot of work to finish before the day ends," she informed him as she reached for a drawer and pulled out more paper. One of them was for the approval of the duplex for herself and Team VRSZ. She wanted to get this done quick. With the boys going to Atlas to find Violet, Clair wanted them to have a home to return to.

"Moony!" he called her in a whiny voice. Clair was already regretting this conversation. "Let's use your airship and go to a resort or something. One of the settlements near the water will suffice."

"No. I have important business to tend to and it comes first. Second, I don't have the luxury to use fuel for vacations."

"Come on! We're Vantablacks! Don't we have anything from the family? They sent you Lien, right?"

"Yes, but I'm using it for Nexus. Once this settlement gets off the ground, we'll have a little more income coming in. But for now, our finances are limited. Deal with it, C.P."

The Aristocratic Vantablack leaned his head back in total frustration. Clair was annoyed with his selfish desires. She even gave him some of the Lien the family gave her to him so he wouldn't bother her. It failed.

 _"Did he spend it already?"_ she thought to herself.

"How am I supposed to enjoy my time here if I don't have the money to do anything? This is torture! It's cruel and unusual! I don't know if you know this, but I'm used to a certain kind of lifestyle." His complaining was grating on Clair's mind.

C.P.'s endless blathering continued and it changed from annoying to boring. Hearing him go on and on about the hardships of a normal life was starting to sound like a lullaby to Clair. She was beginning to drift into the realm of sleep. Even though she wanted to, she could not afford to rest right now. She needed to get him out of here.

Through gritted teeth, Clair answered, "Then get a job. Find a way to earn money. There are tons of things you can do. Just don't bother me with it while I'm working."

Her response did get C.P. to quiet down. He thought about what she said and understood she was probably right. _"Moony's right. I just need to get money! Any way I can!"_

"Thanks, Moony! I know what I gotta do! Bye!" C.P. said with a cheery demeanor. He jogged out of Clair's office, leaving her befuddled.

 _"He accepted so easily. I was expecting him to up more of a… Doesn't matter. I need to finish this before nightfall,"_ Clair thought as she brought her focus back to her work.

Running outside of the council building and through the streets of his new home, C.P. marched forward with the desire to get accumulate Lien, using every opportunity he could.

Several weeks had passed since his decision to obtain Lien, but his efforts had ended with little to no results. C.P. couldn't stand working a normal job like other people, especially since it wasn't like working at the Moneta where Sterling could help him along the way. He decided the best thing he could do was find a way to get rich quick. C.P. hired random people to sell items to others, found ideas on magazines and even tried his hand at gambling None of them proved fruitful and he yielded little money. The only Lien he could count on was the savings Clair gave him and he wasn't prepared to use it, seeing the money as the only semblance of his former life.

 **Setting: Eastern District**

The Aristocratic Vantablack sulked through Nexus. After putting so much effort into amassing money and getting nowhere, he was close to quitting. His disheartened trek led him into the Bazaar, the shopping and trading district in the east of Nexus. He wasn't looking for anything in particular. He just wanted to clear his head with a walk, however, something very peculiar caught C.P.'s eyes. One stand was open with a woman trying to sell items. All of them were worthless pieces of junk in C.P.'s case, but the thing that was a cut above the rest was the dismantled, damaged Atlesian droid in the back. It laid against a large stone to look like it was sitting, but it was not operational. The robot was calling to C.P. and he knew this was his ticket. He rushed over to the lady's stand at a desperate pace that didn't betray his true motives. She saw him run to her and she was worried he was trying to take something from her shop.

"Hey! Where did you get that!?" C.P. asked her with a booming voice that frightened her.

"Um, this was something I found in the desert. I was just lucky. It might be an old droid from Atlas probably left behind for years, maybe even decades," she answered, calmer now that she knew C.P. wasn't a thief.

"So cool!" he said and he started to examine the nonfunctioning machine without the owner's consent. She watched him and figured C.P. was a harmless customer.

"If you want it, you should know that it's operational but still salvageable. I'm no tech genius but I can see it can be fixed. The droid could be a decent bodyguard for those who want to travel around Vacuo."

"Yeah, and I know a tech genius," C.P. said to himself in a low tone she couldn't hear. "I'll take it!"

"Sorry, but I have other potential buyers who want it. The robot's not for sale unless you can match their offers."

"How about a lovely date with a Vantablack? A beautiful, industrious lady like yourself deserves the best. Fortunately, I practically own this place," C.P. flirted, looking the woman up and down to get a good look at her. He didn't think she was a knockout beauty, but he found her quite pleasing to the eye but noticed she didn't look at him the same way. She looked aggravated.

"How about you pay me more than 5,000 Lien. That's the highest bid for the robot. Can you beat it?" she asked in a monotone voice, not having any of C.P.'s flirtation.

 _"5,000…"_ C.P. knew he had the money to pay for the Atlesian droid, but it meant using up all the money he had in his savings. He had roughly around 6,000 Lien and lose it all with this one purchase. _"This thing will cost me everything, but if I get this robot up and running, I can double or even triple the original price. All I need is Onyx,"_

"I'll take it!" C.P. declared, betting everything on this droid.

 **Setting: Onyx's Workshop**

"I don't have time for this," Onyx said disinterestedly as he walked to his work table. The weasel faunus had several blueprints in his arms and placed them on the table when he reached it.

C.P. was behind him, dragging the Atlesian droid on a wooden board, pulling it with a metal chain he found lying around the town. The machine was heavy and dragging it took all lot of effort. Bringing the droid from the eastern district to Onyx and C.P.'s home was exhausting. Sweat stained his clothing which was something C.P. hated, so he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Yes, you do! You're doing all these other projects for Clair and I've seen you find time to do other stuff too. What's one more?" C.P. tried to convince his younger cousin.

"Copper, these 'projects' Clair gave me are important for our future. I don't have time for one of your scams this is-"

"It's not a scam!" C.P. shouted angrily. His outburst shocked Onyx who quickly turned his head to look at his cousin and the robot he bought. "I spent all of my money on this droid and I plan to make money off of it. I'm putting all of my investment into this droid and… I need your help, please." His anger quickly shifted to pleading. He needed Onyx's help for this to work.

The faunus Vantablack didn't say anything as he glanced at the droid. He walked over to his cousin and knelt to get a better look at what he bought.

"This is an Atlesian droid… an old one at that. It can be repaired and, with the right parts, be upgraded."

C.P. lifted his head and turned to Onyx in shock. Was he going to help him?

"Tinkering with Atlesian technology is a rarity in Vacuo. Working on your droid might be worthwhile," Onyx said to his cousin.

"Really? You mean it?"

"However, the stuff Clair entrusted to me comes before your robot. I'll work on it whenever I have spare time, but it'll take a long time for this thing to be functional. If you're okay with that, I'll work on this for you."

Onyx felt his hand being grabbed as C.P. took hold of it and shook it. "Deal! Thanks, Onyx! I owe ya! When I sell this thing, I'll give you half of what I make!"

The younger faunus could only smile at his cousin's enthusiasm. After living with C.P. ever since Nexus got started, Onyx had a front-row view of the Aristocratic Vantablack and his eccentric, bothersome ways, but seeing him genuinely appreciative was a nice breath of fresh air. It made Onyx want to see more of this side from his cousin.

"Just place the droid over there. I'll give it a once over when I'm done today. I'll call you when I made any major breakthroughs," Onyx told a grateful C.P. before returning to the schematics on his table.

"Thanks, man!" C.P. said as he happily dragged his cash cow to the wall Onyx designated. "Let me know when things get started! See ya!" C.P. left the workshop, excited with his newest project. Everything was going his way.

Several months had passed since C.P. acquired the Atlesian droid and life kept changing around him. A lot of Nexus has been constructed and more people were residing in the settlement, including Team VRSZ after they returned with Violet. During this time, C.P. has been bidding his time with his droid. The progress Onyx made was very slow when they started, but with more of Clair's projects being completed gave the faunus Vantablack more time to work on the machine and things were reaching the final stages.

The hunk of junk he bought months ago was now a proper droid. Onyx equipped it with more metal plating so it was bigger and more durable than it was previously. It was more combat-ready than the standard Atlesian Knights deployed by the Atlas kingdom thanks to the precious time Onyx gave it. C.P. was still doing other things to make money while his main project was gradually coming together. While he wasn't probing for any little bit of Lien he could grab, C.P. has been searching for random spare parts and bringing them to Onyx to see if they could be assimilated into the droid. With Onyx doing the heavy lifting, C.P. wanted to help any way he could. A certainty with this project is that it brought Onyx and C.P. closer together.

More time passed and the Atlesian droid was nearing completion. Onyx informed C.P. was operational, but not fully functional. Several of the weapons he had installed were offline. What mattered most to C.P. was the success of their asset. All the time they put into the droid wasn't in vain. Onyx wanted to get the rest of the weapons installed then test the droid, however, an opportunity came knocking at their door in the worst way.

Around the time Grayson sent his horde of thieves and marauders to ransack Nexus and search for VRSZ. It was during this invasion that C.P. and Onyx barricaded themselves inside the workshop where they heard several rogues trying to break in.

"What do we do!?" Onyx whispered frantically to his older cousin. Both of them were in the lab of the workshop where all of Onyx's inventions were.

"We have stuff here to fight with, but… what about the droid. Is it ready?"

Onyx looked back at the robot. It had yet to be tested, but it should work and serve as a means of defense, but it could fail in battle and be destroyed or be too damaged to be sold. All of C.P.'s work would amount to nothing. He didn't know what the right call was. Their worries were great but were washed away like sand at the beach when Clair arrived with Azura in tow. They were saved before any decision was made.

After the whole ordeal passed, Nexus was left in shambles. Even C.P. and Onyx agreed it was like everything Clair did to get this far took one big step back to square one. Their cousin tried to hide it from them, but they could see she was truly upset about the ordeal, even when she left to take down Grayson with her friends, there was a sadness in her voice. When she left, C.P. decided to give some of his Lien to Clair to help her rebuild.

"Finally! It's finished!" Onyx exclaimed proudly as he finally turned on the Atlesian droid with C.P. by his side.

Two days after Clair and Team VRSZ finally crushed Grayson and the Ravagers. Things in Nexus were starting to look up, especially for the Vantablack boys. After months of hard work, C.P. and Onyx's hard work paid off at last. Standing on its two, armored feet was the droid that was upgraded beyond its capabilities when C.P. first purchased it. In the beginning, it was fragile looking and skeletal, but now it was a hulking, imposing sentinel. Its stature was taller than C.P. and Onyx, forcing them to look up to see the face visor. Despite the intimidation of the droid's figure, C.P. bounced and jumped around it with glee.

"Yes! Yes! YES! It's finally done! Thank you, Onyx! You're the best!" he shouted in jubilation before taking hold of his cousin and hoisting him in the air. Onyx was happy as well and didn't mind be lifted in the air.

"All right! Let's sell this baby for a million Lien!" C.P. said as he let Onyx go and pointed to the sky.

"Um, we can't do that just yet. We have to undergo a field test to make sure our guard bot can actually guard," Onyx informed C.P., whose enthusiasm dropped after he lost his momentum.

"How do we do that?"

 **Setting: Desert**

In a random, open area of Vacuo was C.P. and Onyx with their new creation. The duo borrowed Clair's hovercar and drove to a spot in Vacuo that had some Grimm which wasn't difficult to find. They were able to find a Deathstalker lurking about and Onyx deployed the droid with commands from his scroll. Establishing a link with the machine and his device was easy and a simple way to give orders no matter how complex.

 _"Defeat the Grimm"_

The order was given and the droid was activated, complying with the order. The Deathstalker was a great distance away and it wasn't aware of their presence yet and the droid moved to attack. Instead of charging to fight up-close, the droid stretched its arm out and the plating around its wrist moved back, revealing a wrist full of small missiles. The robot fired three of them and they headed toward the giant beast and it hit the unsuspecting Grimm, consuming it in an immense explosion.

"Wow…" C.P. was highly impressed with their robot's single attack. The distance was great. The massive Grimm seemed minuscule in his sight and all that replaced its image was a cloud of smoke. Onyx wasn't surprised by the attack power of his invention. He made sure it was a strong fighter capable of protecting future buyers.

The smoke cleared and the Deathstalker was barely alive. Its armor was shattered and its tail and left claw were blown off. It was on its last legs as it wriggled around to either find its assailant or escape. The droid activated the gravity dust on the soles of its feet to levitate and fly toward the Grimm as the plating around its left arm moved and combined to form a small metal shield. With the speed of its movement, the droid rammed into the Deathstalker with great force, killing the Grimm before it could put up a fight.

The monster vanished into the black vapor all Grimm fade into, leaving Onyx and C.P. satisfied.

"That was hardly a fraction of what it could do. There's no way anyone's not gonna want this thing," Onyx told C.P. confidently.

The Aristocratic Vantablack smirked. The Lien he envisioned was only a few moments away. Everything he did to get to this point would all be worth it. Their celebration caused the droid to look in their direction before it flew straight toward them at lightning speed.

C.P. noticed this and looked a little frightened. "Uh, is it supposed to do that?"

Onyx turned to see his creation charge at them and he didn't know why it was gunning for them. He wondered if he calibrated its directional cerebrum correctly. It shouldn't recognize them as Grimm. Emerging from the left arm was a short javelin attached to a crossbow. Within the arm was a canister full of dust that was placed inside the javelin once it opened a small cockpit at the spearhead. The droid aimed its weapon and Onyx was desperately trying to go for the kill switch on his scroll, but his frantic panicking caused the device to slip out of his hand. He and C.P. began to scream in horror and the droid fired the javelin.

The projectile hurdled to them like a bullet and it sliced through the air as it reached the Vantablack boys but flew passed them. Instead, the javelin pierced the neck of a large Nevermore that was flying right behind them. The avian Grimm screeched in pain as the javelin ripped into its neck and the ice dust within began to freeze its body from neck. The Nevermore flew to the sandy ground where it broke apart like a fragile glass figure before the remains vanished in black smoke. The droid landed between the still terrified faunus and young man, staying vigilant for any other Grimm threats.

The droid was a massive success, if not too effective at being imposing. Both boys weren't sure what to do next until C.P. spoke up. "Should we head home?" he asked in a fearful tone.

"…Yeah. I'll… just tell you what else it can do," Onyx answered before taking the wheel of the hovercar.

 **Setting: Nexus**

The eastern district of Nexus was the place C.P. and Onyx needed to be to sell their product for the highest price. They put the machine on the market hours after testing it and today was the best time to do so. Evergreen's arrival and upcoming concert brought droves of people to Nexus who were all potential customers in C.P.'s eyes.

People began to crowd the impressive machine within the hour it took C.P. to it on display. A lot of the people who came only looked at the droid with amazement, but C.P. shooed them away. He was only interested in buyers, not browsers. Eventually, several buyers began to flock to C.P. and Onyx and they began to bid on the machine. Onyx made sure to explain all the weaponry and capabilities the robot possessed and it only made people want it more. The bidding reached high numbers, making it to 8,000 Lien, much more than what C.P. paid for it, but it didn't stop there.

The price kept rising higher and higher until one man called out, "60,000 Lien!"

Everyone looked to see a middle-aged man with a greying goatee and matching grey hair on top. He wore traveler's clothes for easy movement throughout the desert and sunglasses to protect his eyes from the sun. The man pulled the Lien out of his pocket for Onyx and C.P. to see, astonishing everyone. Why did anyone in their right man carry that much money on them in Vacuo?

"Sold!" was C.P.'s answer. He didn't want to hear anything else. That deal was too good to pass up.

"You sure?" Onyx asked his cousin to make sure he wasn't being hasty.

"Of course! This is everything we always wanted! We'll split the profits and enjoy a little luxury. Sir, just wait a little bit while we get everything set for ya!" he called out to the buyer who casually waved at him.

Onyx didn't feel all that great selling their project, but he knew this would be the result of their work. After the bonding they did over the past several months, he was worried he and C.P. would drift apart without a common interest. He almost didn't want to sell the droid, but he knew C.P. had the final word.

The buyer was packing the droid in the back of his truck with C.P. Ordinarily, the Aristocratic Vantablack would hate to do any manual labor, but the work he put into this robot changed him without him even knowing. While they were working, Onyx took the time to ask the buyer some questions.

"So, is it okay if I ask why you wanted our robot?"

"It's perfectly fine," the man answered as he and C.P. finally got the droid into the back of his truck. "I'm a collector of rare objects and this beauty here is definitely a high-quality find. I just knew I had to have it."

"High-quality? Thanks," Onyx felt flattered his work was greatly admired. "Well, what are you going to do with it now?"

"Probably use it as a personal bodyguard while I'm collecting artifacts and other rarities. Vacuo's not a kind place to my kind," the man said jokingly and Onyx grinned.

"Thanks, boys. Goodbye," the man said as he started his car and drove out of Nexus with the droid. C.P. and Onyx waved farewell for a short time until C.P. gawked at all the money they made.

"This is the best day ever! How am I going to spend this?" he said aloud.

"I'm sure you'll find something to do with your free time," Onyx answered disheartened their hobby was over. "I guess I'll see you around the house," he said, walking away without getting his cut of the Lien.

"Where are you going?" C.P. asked.

"Home."

"Right now? I thought we could… I don't know… Buy a bunch of junk food and gorge ourselves till we pass out. You said you wanted to do that, right?"

Onyx looked at C.P. in slight shock. "Really?"

"Yeah, who else am I going to have fun with? Though, with a little extra cash, I could ask a girl out on a-"

"Hold on! I'm coming! Let's go!"

Onyx and C.P. walked through the eastern district with fat wallets and big smiles. Their venture to make money may have ended, but the merry time between them sure hasn't.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

The kingdom of Vacuo was overcrowded as usual thanks to the Fall of Beacon. With chaos everywhere, people were finding refuge in the sole safe haven in the western half of Samus. The uncertainty of Remnant made Grimm attacks more frequent and people more fearful. All everyone wanted was to be protected. That's why there are those like Huntsmen and Huntresses who provide them with security. However, some will exploit people's fear of their benefits.

"Anyone scared of Grimm pooping around every dark corner? Fed up with being defenseless and powerless? How about needed a Huntsman but they're nowhere in sight. Do any of you want those worries to be washed away for good?"

A crowd gathered around the speaker in the corner of the kingdom. The person speaking was the same man who bought the droid from C.P. and Onyx. He stood on a stool with the droid standing behind him. Even on the small furniture, the man was not taller than the robot, only matching it in height.

"Then come and see the guardian that will answer your beck and call! This wondrous creation of mine is a combat droid capable of killing any Grimm that troubles you or from any bandits or thugs who are giving you a hard time. It'll obey any command you give it! An all-purpose machine only for the highest bidder. Anyone want to cast their hat into the basket?"

The people surrounded the man. Onlookers and buyers alike were amazed by the machine standing tall in the kingdom. The man was doing the same thing C.P. was doing except he was preying on the weak to pay him more money than he spent to buy the droid. He planned on making at…

"100,000 Lien!" a woman's voice cried out.

The people in the crowd turned to the person who made the declaration as well as the man with the robot. Walking through the sea of people was the buyer, Ebony Vantablack.

"That is mine and I won't take no for an answer," she told everyone so no one else would deny her. It was just as she said, no other people interested in the droid wanted to make a higher offer. Not many people can deliver more than 100,000 Lien as she did.

"…Sold," the man said and Ebony grinned in satisfaction.

The crowd dispersed after the ordeal was over, leaving Ebony to pay the man and collect her prize. Unlike Onyx, the man didn't ask what she intended to do with the droid. He didn't care as long as he got his money.

"What's its name?" Ebony asked.

"It doesn't have one. You can name it if you want," the man said before taking his money. He didn't even wait to hear what Ebony was going to call it. He walked away 10,000 Lien richer. Ebony eyed the large robot for some time before smiling.

"I know just what to call you."

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

"Monochrome?" Brenton repeated the name. "What made you think of that?"

"Easy. The black and white plating of its body made me think of those old black and white shows that came on decades ago. Plus, I like the name." Ebony turned to the new addition to her Champions and hugged the motionless robot. "Welcome to the team!"

"It's so creepy the way it doesn't move," Brenton said as he winced the visor that made the droid appear faceless. Ebony embracing it didn't change Brenton's view of the new member.

Zinnia silently watched the two talk as she looked at Monochrome. It seemed harmless and she noticed it was an old Atlesian Knight model that hasn't been used by Atlas in years. It was an older model upgraded to easily surpass the ones currently deployed by the kingdom. Zinnia wondered who built this and how powerful it was.

Typing on her scroll, Ebony inputted a command into Monochrome and it became active. The machine shifted to Ebony and picked her up, carrying her bridal style. The Charming Vantablack laughed, enjoying how her new purchase could follow simple commands. "This is great! I wonder if there's a butler or a service mode? Oh, maybe I can have you upgraded!"

"Like a kid with a new toy," Brenton casually told Zinnia. Both of them watched Ebony play with Monochrome.

"You hit the nail on the head. But that's one deadly toy," Zinnia commented and Brenton silently agreed.

Still in Monochrome's arms, Ebony laughed with joy. "All right! The Champions are back to a full roster and we have work to do. Ready everybody?"

Zinnia and Brenton nodded in agreement.

"Break time's over, kids. We're back in action!"


	33. Ebony's Retinue

**Setting: Feldspar**

The kingdom of Vacuo was getting overcrowded for Ebony's taste. The constant arrival of refugees packed the place with too many people for her to enjoy a stroll through the city. She had nothing against the poor souls seeking a safe haven from the state of chaos happening all around Remnant, but she needed some space for herself and continuing her mission was the best excuse to leave. She was able to leave the kingdom by going directly to the person in charge of the kingdom, headmaster Theodore. She spoke to him through her scroll and requested she go to a neighboring town to provide defense against Grimm.

The headmaster of Shade Academy already had his hands full with the refugees and creating a new initiation for all Shade students, believing integrating some of the new arrivals into the formation of new teams would make things smoother while acquiring more Huntsmen and Huntresses to protect the people. Something needed to be done after the string of disasters occurring in the last few weeks. People were losing faith in the kingdom and Theodore was willing to accept any support he could.

In the small settlement comprised mostly of tents for homes and walls made from various vehicles had no real defense from the creatures of Grimm. The only things Feldspar had worth mentioning was its small source of water to relieve the residents of the desert heat and a CCT support tower to allow for limited communication across Vacuo. This place needed all the help it could get.

Right now, Ebony was on patrol around the settlement with Monochrome at her side. The droid was in an idle mode where it remained by Ebony's side, ready to act if needed. They monitored the east side while Zinnia and Brenton patrolled the west. The Paragon was not supportive of Ebony having only Monochrome with her. If there was a threat of a Grimm attack, she felt like she needed to be there. Brenton didn't really think much about Zinnia's plea or Monochrome. To him, it was just another robot, a tool to be used and nothing more. If it can fight, then that's good for them.

"So far, there's nothing coming our way," Brenton said to relieve the boredom.

"That's a good thing," Zinnia replied. "It would be preferred if no Grimm attacked this place. Feldspar can hardly defend itself. I'd feel bad if Grimm did attack and they were left in ruin. Losing your home is a horrible thing."

"It is. You feel like you have nowhere to go and no one waiting for you wherever you go. You're truly alone," Brenton admitted and it drew Zinnia in.

"This has happened to you before?"

"Unfortunately. Raiders attacked my hometown then Grimm followed afterward. I wandered around for days before finding Corona. I lived there before learning how to fight and my skills caught Royal's eye. And the rest is history."

"I had no idea…"

"It's not something I talk about. Not because it was hard for me… I just don't think it's all that important," Brenton raised his arms to show his indifference to his own story.

Zinnia kept her eyes on him, viewing him differently now that she had this new information about her friend. She helped people who lost their homes in Atlas, so she knew the hardships they had gone through. She didn't know if Brenton meant what he said about it not being important. If he didn't want to talk about it anymore, she won't bring it up, but Zinnia did want to know more about him.

"UGH! This is boring!" Ebony complained loudly to Monochrome. The robot glanced at her. She leaned against his right arm and feigned distress. "I wonder how the others are doing?"

One hour passed and there was no sign of Grimm. Ebony began to fiddle with Monochrome to keep herself busy. She had no shame in admitting she was trying to see if she can install her playlist of songs into the droid. Zinnia and Brenton continued their watch until something amazing caught Zinnia's eye.

"Brenton, look! On the horizon!" she shouted to get him to look. Brenton turned to see what she saw and found two large masses moving through the sand. They appeared to be rocky islands moving side by side but Brenton was aware of what they were even though this was his first time seeing them.

"Those are two flatback sliders. You're from Atlas, so you probably never heard of them before. Flatbacks are giant turtles that can be found in Vacuo. Actually, seeing one is considered good luck."

"Then seeing two must double our fortune," Zinnia replied with a smile. She walked forward to get a better look at the sliders' shells.

Brenton wasn't as enthusiastic as her, but it was a sight to behold. "Maybe it is good luck that we-" his words were cut off when he felt his left being tightly grasped. He looked down to see some claw-like appendage holding onto him then it pulled him beneath the sand, leaving Zinnia by herself.

"Do flatback-" Zinnia turned and didn't see her partner. "Brenton?"

She wondered if he went to Feldspar, but they were too far away from the settlement for him to reach it so quickly. And even if he did, she would be able to see him walk there.

Something was wrong.

The Paragon's face turned more serious as she scanned her surroundings. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to let it catch her off guard. Suddenly, the sand beneath her feet began to heat up. She looked down to notice the sand began to glow. Immediately, Zinnia jump backward and the ground below erupted, releasing violent flames that rose 30 feet into the air. Within the flames were Brenton and several other creatures with him.

He landed on the ground next to her with Oathburner already in his hands while on the other side were four massive, black creatures. Zinnia didn't need to ask what was going on. She grabbed her whip-sword and readied herself for battle.

The flaming towered died out and on the other side were the creatures that took Brenton by surprise. They were indeed Grimm, specifically Mole Crabs, giant crab-like Grimm that attack from the underground. Two of them were badly burned thanks to Brenton, especially the one in the front. Most of its body was scorched by Brenton's flames, mostly the claw it grabbed him with. It was writhing in pain while two behind it looked to Zinnia and Brenton. The fourth Mole Crab, however, turned its gaze to Feldspar which was a long-distance away.

"Brenton," Zinnia called to get his attention.

"I know," he answered. He aimed Oathburner at the crabs and released a powerful stream of flames at the Mole Crabs. The two behind the burned one side walked in front of it and bunkered down, forming a shield with the skull-like shells of their bodies. They took the hit and protected their group from the fire.

 _"Pretty smart for Grimm,"_ Brenton thought, witnessing their tactics. _"But it won't be enough,"_

The whip-sword wrapped around his waist and Zinnia used all her strength to hurl him into the air above the Mole Crabs who watched him as the fourth one began to run to Feldspar. Brenton aimed his greatsword for a downward thrust while wreathing it in the fire. He landed on the top of a Mole Crab with Oathburner piercing through its hard hide. He pulled the trigger of his sword's revolver and released more flames as it infiltrated the inside of the Grimm's body with the opening he created. The fire expanded the Grimm's body grotesquely and steam was spilling out of its body. Seconds later, the Mole Crab exploded in a burst of fire and steam.

Brenton landed on the ground the Grimm once occupied with steam covering the area. It served as a great cover for Zinnia who ran through it to get to the Mole Crab moving toward the settlement. It didn't prove effective as the steam was vanishing quickly and in the corner of her eye, she could see the scorched Mole Crab trying to bisect her with its claw. The Paragon made no move to evade or counter. She kept pressing forward because she knew there was nothing to worry about. The claw came down and tried to seize her, but two hands held them back. Brenton stood between Zinnia and the Grimm, holding the claw with brute force. Their compatibility was already strong.

The Mole Crab tried to squeeze Brenton, but its weakened body couldn't match the strength of the King of Flames. With one powerful movement, Brenton pushed against the pincers of the claw, breaking them apart and leaving its arm a useless stump. Brenton moved in and delivered an upward slash that cut through the Grimm's shell. It fell to the ground and laid there in pain. Brenton thrust his sword into the Grimm as the second rushed toward him. Pulling the trigger, the released another powerful burst of fire, but instead, the fire launched The Mole Crab was sent flying toward the other and they were both knocked down to the ground. The burnt crab started to vanish while the other was staggered on the ground.

Oathburner was still wrapped in flames and until Brenton activated Boost to increase his power. The flames changed from orange to blue and his eyes changed to red. The power surging through him frightened the Mole Crab that stunned to flee. Grabbing his weapon with both hands, Brenton brought down Oathburner with great force.

An explosion of blue flames could be heard and seen by all in Feldspar.

Zinnia was racing to reach the Mole Crab moving toward Feldspar. She was catching up, but the distance between them was vast. The Grimm would end up in Feldspar before she could get to it. At least if things continued, but Zinnia had other methods. One of them was Armaments.

Red aura pulsed from her hand and coursed through her whip-sword. She whipped her weapon back and swung it. The blade of the sword extended as far as it could then the Zinnia's aura took the shape of the whip-sword, extending it even further, covering a 400-foot distance between her and the Mole Crab.

The Grimm ignored the battle to attack the small settlement full of people. It had no idea what was going on behind it until it felt its flesh being sliced. The Mole Crab couldn't feel its legs anymore, but it saw a flash of red from below move across its line of sight. The massive Grimm began to fall forward and slide through the sand. When it stopped, the Mole Crab tried to get back up but didn't feel anything touch the sand no matter much it wiggled its limbs. Along the path the giant crab created were its legs, severed and fading into black smoke, and walking through it all was Zinnia.

She retracted her weapon and reabsorbed her aura as she approached the crippled monster. As soon as Zinnia waked into the Mole Crab's view, it raised its armored claw and swung it down to smash her. In a flash, the Paragon activated Armaments on her wrist weapon and pulled out the blade within it. Armaments doubled its length and Zinnia performed an upward slash, cutting through the Grimm's claw. The tearing of flesh was unpleasant and the clear fluid within the crab scattered about before decorating the sand. The Mole Crab shrieked in pain while Zinnia looked at it with indifference. She kept her gaze upward to see the monster flail but noticed something was coming her way from the sky above.

Monochrome was flying at breakneck speeds to Zinnia and the Mole Crab. It was directly above them and was hurtling straight down with no sign of slowing down. Its body plating moved to show nodes placed around its body and they glowed with electricity. Zinnia quickly moved out of the way while the limbless Grimm could do nothing. She ran toward Feldspar and found Ebony approaching with a smile. Monochrome reached the Mole Crab and smashed into the armor. The moment it impacted the Grimm, every node on its body discharged electricity and their combined might unleash a massive explosion of lightning with a loud thunderous sound being heard for miles.

There was no trace of the Grimm left. Scorched sand and Monochrome were all that remained. The robot was unfazed and stood like nothing happened before moving to Ebony's side. Zinnia watched it approach in amazement. Monochrome lived to its purpose to protect others. Ebony enjoyed the shocked look on her confidant's face. It was new and refreshing.

"It's a good thing we showed up," Ebony told Zinnia who stopped gawking at the droid.

"I had it under control," she said in a matter of fact tone.

"Yes, but I wanted to display Monochrome's abilities so you can see it was the right thing to buy it and have it a part of the Champions. Now, let's collect Brenton and head into town. After that massive boom, I'm sure people are freaking out. Can't have anymore Grimm show up," Ebony said playfully. She walked ahead to find Brenton with Zinnia and Monochrome following beside her.

"Did you like Monochrome's display?" Ebony asked Zinnia as they walked, getting into her personal space.

"…It is definitely a force to be reckoned with," Zinnia answered backing away from Ebony as their faces were close to touching.

The Charming Vantablack was beaming as she smiled so proudly over Monochrome. "And that's not half of what he could do! That was the power setting. There's still stealth, efficient, and so much more I haven't even found yet!"

"Sounds like you'll have a lot of figuring it all out," Brenton called as he walked towards his comrades.

"I will!" she said, excited with all the possibilities.

 **Setting: Feldspar Tavern**

In Feldspar was a large tent that served as the hub of the settlement. The residents could drink, eat, celebrate, and relax. Feldspar didn't have much, but they made use with what did have, like alcohol and food. The euphoria of daily merriment served the purpose of keeping the people happy while also kept the Grimm at bay. It worked well, but it wasn't perfect.

Right now, the people of Feldspar were celebrating the triumph of Ebony and her Champions. The trio was partaking in drinks and food gifted to them by the tavern owner and the people gathered around them, praising them for their feat. Brenton drank in solidarity even though people were surrounding him, amazed with his physique and dominating presence. Their words were sweet and Brenton pretended to be unaffected, but hearing them reminded him of his time in Corona. A sense of nostalgia-filled his breast. Zinnia stayed by Ebony who was reveling in the admiration. The Vantablack was entertaining to watch. She galivanted through the large tent with a crowd of people following her. Magnetic. That was the word Zinnia would use for Ebony Vantablack.

The residence of Feldspar gave their time to Ebony, saying they would never forget what she and her Champions did for them. Knowing they'll remember her deeds was the nicest gift they could bestow upon her and she loved it. Ebony laughed and drank to her heart's content, but her blissful time was cut short when she felt her scroll vibrate in her pocket. The caller was Professor Theodore.

"Of course," she said before answering. "Yes?"

"How's the mission in Feldspar?" Theodore asked.

"It was a tremendous success! Working out in the field again is quite exhilarating. I hope we can do this again."

"Perhaps that can be arranged. My students are stretched thin throughout Vacuo and I can't send refugees to fight our battles. So, I hope we can rely on you to operate for us," Theodore explained.

Smiles decorated Ebony's face during the celebration but a smirk appeared when she heard Theodore's request. She had no idea where to go next with her plans and Professor Theodore gave her the best setting for her.

"Yes, we're more than happy to aid you. Send us a request and we'll fulfill it. Is there anything else you require from us?" she asked.

"Actually, there is. I'm sure you're well acquainted with the rogue team fighting for Nexus."

"VRSZ," Ebony answered with curiosity in her voice.

"I see. Well, they are an extremely hot topic in Vacuo given the circumstances of the past few weeks. As of now, Nexus is an unsanctioned settlement that is favored by the people of Vacuo. One that we can do nothing about for the time being, however, VRSZ is a different story. Their disregard for the kingdom cannot go ignored or without consequence. Many people may see them as heroes, but in the eyes of the kingdom, they are dangerous vigilantes."

"Go on," Ebony said while rolling her eyes. She was bored with his lengthy exposition.

"Should they ever confront the kingdom again, I want them captured and brought to Shade Academy. You have the most information about them, so I would like for you to divulge everything you know about them so we can be better prepared,"

The deal was reasonable, but not what she wanted. Ebony figured she could still use VRSZ to rile up the kingdom and make them look worse than they do now. She loved the members of VRSZ, but she knew they couldn't take on an organized military power like one of the four kingdoms. A city full of unrefined, uncoordinated bandits was one thing but the difference between the City of Thieves and Shade Academy was as vast as an ocean.

"If I may, professor. Can we meet tomorrow and discuss this in person? This will be a long talk and I'd prefer not to do it over scrolls and in the open."

"Of course. I'll be waiting for your arrival," Theodore replied before ending the call.

Ebony put her scroll away and couldn't help but feel giddy. The gears in her head were turning as she tried to figure out what else she could plan for the future. The Charming Vantablack was ready to deliver another blow, one that was strong enough to leave her mark on the world of Remnant.

* * *

 **Finally, I got information about Vacuo through the After Fall book. I know locations, descriptions, and most importantly who from RWBY is in Vacuo. All of this will be integrated into VRSZ.**


	34. Confluence

**Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Monochrome stood in the common area of the airship, monitoring the area for any threats to Brenton and Zinnia, those Ebony included into the droid's internal list of people to protect and fight beside. The machine proved itself in battle yesterday, leaving the other members of the Champions curious. As Monochrome was on standby, Brenton was in its face, poking its face visor to get some kind of reaction but Monochrome only turned its head to the lizard faunus.

"Would you stop bothering it," Zinnia told Brenton while she waited for Ebony to return. Her first meeting with Professor Theodore was underway and they were to discuss matters alone.

"I want to see if I can make anything happen," Brenton answered without looking at her. The stalwart faunus was acting rather childish for once.

"Monochrome is on standby. It won't do anything unless there's we're under attack. Standing right there is all he's going to do" Zinnia said to reason with him. His finger tapping on Monochrome's visor was starting to irritate her.

He did stop and he turned toward Zinnia with a raised eyebrow. "Did you just call Monochrome a 'he?'"

"I did?"

"If you start thinking of the robot as a person, you'll get weirdly attached to it."

"I know that! What I said was just a slip of the tongue," Zinnia turned away from Brenton who teasingly smirked at her. Maybe Ebony's playfulness was rubbing off on him.

"Hello, children! Mommy's back!" Ebony shouted happily as she entered the common area.

"I will never refer to you as my mother," Brenton told her dryly and she laughed.

"How did negotiations go with the professor?" Zinnia asked her liege.

"Well on my end. Professor Theodore and I came to a compromise. He'll handle VRSZ if they interfere with their business. If anything goes wrong, he'll consult with us about what to do next."

"So… we wait?" Brenton asked.

"Exactly. We keep doing what we've been doing and help out the settlements aligned with the kingdom. We'll bolster our renown in Vacuo which is our main objective for the time being,"

"Seems like we're just competing in some popularity contest," Brenton admitted.

"In a sense, you're not wrong, but the undeniable fact of the world is that people are the greatest resource on the planet. How we interact with them is important. I want to work on the positive a be seen as someone inspirational."

 _"On the other hand, if being a hero everyone will remember fails, then the path of an unforgettable villain is also open for me,"_ She made sure to keep that last part to herself.

"Right now, VRSZ is the biggest topic in Vacuo because of their deeds to vanquish tyrants and criminals with no regard for the kingdom's laws. This is good and bad for them. While some view them as heroes, there are others who see them as mercenaries or people no better than the Grayson. The spotlight is centered on them. What happens next will determine the perspective the kingdom and its inhabitants will see them."

Her two Champions sat on the couch, listening to their leader explain the situation. They were almost as motionless as Monochrome whose face visor was on Ebony as well. Ebony's way of viewing things was completely different from Brenton's. She was playful, bratty, cool, strategic, and cold. It made him wonder what kind of person she really was. Who was Ebony Vantablack at her core?

Zinnia rose to her feet and walked away from her teammates without saying a word. Brenton had an idea of what she was doing and Ebony already knew.

"We're heading to the center of Vacuo, helping any settlements in our paths until we reach our destination-"

"Coquina," Zinnia answered for her before leaving.

 **Setting: Virago**

With many of their enemies defeated and a state of peace in Nexus and its neighboring settlements, Team VRSZ has been accepting jobs that were less battle-oriented. Instead, the team has been doing missions that focused on stabilizing their home and its neighbors. At the moment, Violet, Remus, and Bianca were in Virago helping the first ally of Nexus on a humanitarian mission.

The stone buildings reduced to rubble by Royal's wake were gone, but metal supplies imported from Nexus and the other settlements gave Saffron the resources to rebuild and replace. The abundance of metalwork even allowed for many of the residents to have real homes instead of living in large tents. Construction workers from Nexus were assisting, but most of the work was taken care of by the residence of Virago. The female dominant populace was no stranger to manual labor. The only thing left to do was to distribute supplies to the locals.

"Here you go," Bianca said with a smile. She handed a woman a large wooden box filled with food, water, and medical supplies. The woman thanked Bianca before walking away with another person right behind her.

Bianca was giving away the last of the supply boxes with Violet and Remus by her side. The three of them were able to help many of the residences get back on their feet. However, Remus was having more trouble than others. He handed a woman a box and she scoffed him before going to Violet or Bianca. He knew men weren't highly valued in Virago, but he figured Saffron put in a good word for him or something. He just huffed and did his best. Luckily a few of them were willing to accept supplies from him.

It took all morning, but their work was done. Everyone received their supplies and found their new homes. Virago has finally recovered from Royal's assault. Violet took a look around. It was clear this place changed drastically, but she believed it changed for the better.

"Mission cleared!" Remus announced as he raised his arms up high.

"I'm glad everything here is finally settled," Violet responded. Truthfully, she felt guilty about Virago. It was their battle that dragged in the settlement and it paid the price. Helping Virago get back on its feet was reward enough.

"Let's go let Saffron know we're done," Bianca called out to the others.

"That won't be necessary," the leader of Virago said as she approached the trio. Even she looked better now that her pride and joy was rebuilt. There was a smile on her face that didn't go away and everyone noticed. There was no other way to describe it. Saffron was happy her home finally recovered.

"I can't thank you all enough for what you've done. Send my regards to Clair as well and tell her I'll be visiting soon to pay her back correctly," she told the group and sad the last part to Bianca.

"She already knew you'd say that and told me to tell you that you don't have to do anything for her. This is just friends helping each other out," Bianca told her and Saffron laughed.

"That sounds like her! She never was one to hold favors over a person's head." Saffron looked to Violet and Remus. "At least let me do something for you guys. VRSZ has done its fair share of helping."

Saffron has already given the team a substantial reward for eliminating Royal. It felt wrong for Violet to take more from her. Virago needed to properly get back on its feet and taking resources, no matter how small, was not going to help.

"That's okay. We can't accept any reward. Wouldn't feel right," Violet said nonchalantly. Remus agreed, but Saffron had a knowing smirk on her face. She chuckled to herself but caught everyone's attention. "What?" Violet asked.

"Look's like Clair's rubbing off on you! I've never heard of a mercenary group doing jobs for free."

"We put the Freelancer days behind us. Now, we work for Nexus' benefit," Violet corrected.

Thinking about it, Remus realized Saffron was right. Normally, Violet wouldn't shy away from any payment when it came to missions. She was different, but Remus noticed this was happening more often since the fight with Team CLSH. The outcome and consequences of that battle did a number on the team. Violet was acting less like her usual self. Only time could tell whether this was good or bad.

"Now I feel bad. How am I supposed to show my gratitude?" Saffron asked.

"Make sure Virago thrives. Otherwise, all our work will be for nothing," Violet answered with a grin and Saffron smiled.

"I won't let you down," Saffron answered. The determination in her eyes showed she planned to keep this promise as best could.

With their mission complete, Violet, Remus, and Bianca drove the Fantasia back to Nexus to report Clair. Missions for VRSZ have been like this for the past few days. So far, they've been helping Nexus and its allies with whatever work they needed. Thanks to the success of VRSZ and the popularity of Nexus, fewer bandits and the like tried to perform raids, so any action missions revolved around vanquishing Grimm. It was a change of pace for everyone but it was welcomed. After their last big battle, a reprieve was needed.

 **Setting: Oasis**

In the luxury settlement of Oasis, Silver, Zelts, and Ghost were in the middle of their own mission. Percy needed a horde of Grimm getting too close to the settlement to be eliminated. The job was easy, so easy that Silver insisted Zelts stay behind and relaxed in one of Oasis's hotel's while he and Ghost take care of the work. However, things did not turn out as the gunslinger hoped. He didn't know when it happened, but Ghost slipped away and retreated back to the hotel to relax.

After their massive battle in Fortuna, Ghost was struck in the back by Shiranui's lantern-whip which left a burning wound. It was a bad injury and the doctor told Ghost the wound will heal over time though it will leave a scar. The doctor also said the wound wouldn't hinder Ghost in any way, but Ghost insisted he was too hurt to continue work and demands early retirement, but an amused Clair continues to rely on him.

Two bullets pierce through the skull of a Deathstalker as it wriggles and screeches in pain before dying. Silver landed on the ground with Fenrir as dual guns and watched the giant scorpion vanish. Swooping down from the sky were three Nevermore that were trying to dive down and devour him. When the first one came, Silver quickly rolled out of the way then leaped onto its back. He used Gravity to stay on the Grimm's back as it flew high into the sky with the other two following behind it.

Seeing the gunman on the back of the Nevermore, the other two moved in to strike. As the two Nevermore were gaining speed, Silver used this time to combine his guns and transform Fenrir into its sniper form. Aiming perfectly, Silver fired one shot at one of the Nevermore and hit it in one of its red eyes. The sudden attack and partial blindness shocked the large bird greatly as it ceased following and flew around frantically. The second one Reached Silver and raised its talons to rip him to shreds, but Silver jumped backward, avoiding the sharp claws as they dug into the flesh of the Grimm he was riding.

Back in Oasis, Zelts was sitting by an oasis pool with shades over his closed eyes. Resting in this setting made him realize why Oasis was such a popular spot. Three large hotels connected to the same enormous well of water beneath all the sand kept people coming into the settlement. It was a great tourist trap. Zelts didn't agree with the ruling party's decision to monopolize on such a massive water reservoir, but having access to it brought out none of these complaints.

"You think Silver will be okay?" Ghost asked Zelts, swimming into the water in white swim trunks. His whole body was pale and it made the knight wonder how his skin remains so pale. Ghost has lived beneath the sun for years and there wasn't even the slightest hint of a tan.

Returning to the question, Zelts said, "He's more capable than we give him credit for. And if anything happens, he'll give us a call."

Ghost didn't ask any more questions. He simply started doing the backstroke in the pool and Zelts continued to rest in his chair.

Ear-piercing screeches echoed through the area as one Nevermore dug into the back of another. Silver was running on the back of the wounded Grimm until he reached its neck and aimed his sniper at the other bird. He fired three shots. The first two went into the Nevermore's cranium and the third ripped right through its throat. The Grimm was dead as it fell on top of the other Nevermore. Both birds were falling from the sky and Silver jumped off the monstrous bird before he was caught up in the tumble. He used Gravity to levitate in the air as he watched the two Grimm clumsily fall to their deaths. Watching a crash like that from such a high vantage point was a new experience.

"Cool," he commented before looking at the Grimm he shot at earlier. The Nevermore lost one of its eyes but finally regained its composure. It flew towards Silver, desiring to swallow him whole.

Silver split Fenrir back to dual guns and fired several Gravity Bullets at the Nevermore. Its body became extremely heavy in a few seconds. It could no longer support this new weight with its wings and it began to fall out of the sky, struggling to fly and unable to touch Silver even once. With a loud thud, the third Nevermore plummeted to the ground, dying from the impact. Body fading away, Silver, still hovering through the air, put his guns back in their holsters.

"Mission complete," he said aloud to himself. He floated down to the ground where Clair's hovercar was and he drove back to Oasis to inform his friends and Percy.

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

"I'm glad everything is better in Virago," Clair said. She was by the front door with Bianca by her side. She was getting ready to depart.

"Me too," Violet answered from the kitchen. After spending all morning in the sun, she decided to make fruit smoothies for herself and Remus who was sitting at the kitchen's island. Fruits were extremely hard to find, grow, and cultivate in Vacuo. They're even the most expensive food group in the area with vegetables coming in second. The team and Clair didn't have many on hand, but Violet felt like it was well earned.

"Now that Virago is better than ever, it's back to business for Nexus: just trying to survive and get better. Repairing the town will resume now that our sister settlement is finally healed. All that means is more paperwork for me. Better get a head start on that. You guys need anything while I'm gone?"

"Is there a video game store opened up anywhere yet?" Remus asked her pleadingly. Nexus had yet to have a store where he could buy or download games and it was frustrating to him. Most of his games were lost in Fortuna and he had yet to refill his collection. Remus has gotten rather restless with his favorite hobby on hold.

"I'm sorry, darling. No shop has opened up yet," Clair answered apologetically before leaving the household with Bianca.

Remus dropped his head against the table with a resounding smack. His aura took the hit for him, but Violet didn't like him doing that or seeing him miserable. She hoped the smoothie would cheer him up. Grabbing bananas, grapes, and blueberries which were the only fruits they had. Violet put them in a blender and started the machine.

His head was still down and his face was pressed against the table Remus stayed like this for a few more minutes before he felt something cold move down his spine. He jolted up and turned to see Violet holding two glass cups with purple substance in them. She had a gentle smile as she placed one of the cups on the table.

"It's not a new video game, but I hope it'll compensate in some way," she said softly. The warm smile Violet showed was reserved only for Remus. Seeing this expression always made him smile and it worked once again.

"Thanks," he answered gratefully. Violet sat next to him then had some of her drink with Remus doing the same. The chilling sensation going down their spine was refreshing. Living in the desert left little time to enjoy the cold. While residents in Vacuo were accustomed to the intense heat, a bliss of cold was always welcomed.

"Ah! So good!" Violet said loudly.

"Yeah…" Remus answered before putting his cup back on the table. "How long will Zelts and Silver be gone?"

"They'll be back tomorrow," Violet answered then her eyes widened when an idea sparked in her head, "and Clair's going to be in the office all day, so we have the place to ourselves." She got behind Remus, wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head on top of his.

Remus couldn't see her, but he had a slightly surprised look on his face. "Violet…"

She responded by leaning down and kissing the top of his head. Violet lowered herself so her head was next to his. Their cheeks were pressed against each other. "Yes?" she said playfully.

He pointed his finger toward the front door and Violet followed his direction. Her eyes widened greatly and her mouth was left open. The front door was ajar and standing between the frame was Clair de Lune Vantablack. The Lady of Nexus had her mouth opened wide just like Violet, but it was changing, slowly shifting into a massive smile. Her eyes were beginning to sparkle like stars in the night sky.

 _"No…No! No! No, no, no, no, NOOOOOOO!"_ Violet mentally screamed. She wasn't ready to let her relationship with Remus known by anyone yet. It was fun keeping it a secret.

"YES!" Clair shouted loudly and proudly. "Best! Day! Ever!"

 _"Yes! Now I'm glad I forgot to tell them about their mission. Coquina can wait! I want to know more about this!"_

No matter what they do, VRSZ and Ebony always seem to collide.


	35. Silver Light in the Night Sky

**Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

"This is amazing! I always knew there was something between you two," Clair said beaming. Remus was still sitting at the island with a curious look. He wasn't upset, happy or concerned the secret was out. He never fully understood why Violet kept it to themselves. He did wonder why Violet looked so irritated. She stood in front of him and before Clair who walked into the kitchen after witnessing their affectionate display. Violet pinched the bridge of her nose, cursing herself for being so sloppy.

"How long has this been-"

"Stop! Let me stop you right there!" Violet quickly interrupted. "I don't want this to get lengthy, so I'll keep it short."

"No! I want details!" Clair tilted her head to look at Remus who returned the look. She grinned. _"He's always honest. I'll get the truth from him,"_ she thought deviously.

Already seeing through her friend's plan, Violet shouted, "Remus, don't you look at her or talk to her!"

Remus placed his arm on the table and rested his head on his hand. He was more confused with Violet's behavior than Clair's. "Why do we have to keep it a secret anymore? I like Violet a lot and she likes me. We like being together."

Clair squealed loudly and Violet sighed. _"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell anyone. I don't need to go through this drama with the others. And what'll this do to the team dynamic?"_

Suddenly, the sound of a chime was heard. Violet looked toward the source and saw a scroll in Clair's hand. Her eyes widened in realization.

"What did you do?" Violet asked Clair in a threatening tone.

The Lady of Nexus turned to Violet with an expression similar to a cat caught prowling in secret. Her face turned from mild shock to deeply apologetic. Putting her hands together, Clair mouthed the words.

 _"I'm sorry,"_

Violet's scroll started going wild. She was receiving message after message.

"Dammit, Clair!" Violet shouted and Clair lightheartedly winced from the outburst.

 **Setting: Desert**

Sitting in the middle of nowhere was Ebony Vantablack's airship, remaining stationary as winds surrounding it howled loudly. Sand flew everywhere as the weather grew more violent. Approaching the airship was a large sandstorm that was too dangerous for anyone to traverse the desert or even fly through the sky.

There was no way for Ebony's retinue to continue on their path to Coquina, so the group was left to wait out the sandstorm. How long it would take? None of them could answer. All they could do now was entertain themselves some other way.

"This is so stupid," Brenton remarked rudely. His head was sweating and his face was clearly annoyed.

Brenton was currently compromised as he was partaking in a game Ebony came up with to help them pass the time. Right now, Brenton, Ebony, and Zinnia were in the middle of a game consisting of a mat with multiple, colorful circles, and a wheel with pictures of body parts. Each of them needed to play their hands on the right color with the right limb. At the moment, Brenton was raveled between Zinnia, who took this too seriously and Ebony who was enjoying herself too much. She was laughing throughout this whole ordeal. Monochrome was standing idly by, watching silently. The robot's silence was creeping him out.

"Don't be that way, Brenton. This is team bonding time," Ebony scolded before lifting her right leg and placed it on a red circle while her leg was sandwiched between Brenton's face and Zinnia's waist.

"I can think of a thousand different ways we can bond," Brenton spat back.

"If you want out, you can leave, if you can," Ebony responded with a cheeky grin.

Brenton was relieved she was letting him go but realized very quickly leaving it was easier said than done. His body was entangled by Zinnia and Ebony and neither was budging to let him go. Zinnia was just in the way and Ebony gripped his body with hers, refusing to let him go. His struggle was the same as trying to fly through the sandstorm, in vain.

"Dammit," he cursed beneath his breath and submitted. A smile was etched on Ebony's face as she spun the wheel.

 **Setting: Desert**

Team VRSZ was driving through the desert, heading west to a small settlement. The ride to their destination wasn't a quiet one. Silver and Zelts had many questions they wanted to be answered now that Violet and Remus' relationship was out in the open. Remus answered them all without reserve. Now that everyone was aware, he felt there was no reason to withhold any information.

"How long have you guys been dating?" Zelts asked Remus, asking while keeping his eyes front as he drove the Fantasia.

"A couple of weeks, maybe," Remus answered, thinking back to when they decided to start their relationship. Violet sighed because this was still up for discussion. Exasperation didn't begin to describe how she felt about this.

"I would like to say," Silver began, "Remus, way to go getting an older woman. Violet, he's still 17. Don't do anything 'compromising' to him until the next few months roll by."

Violet lifted her head and turned to Silver after he said that. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

"Let's face it, Vi. If it came down to which one of you would initiate first, it would most likely be you. Remus doesn't have the same mentality as most guys," Silver explained but it didn't make her feel better.

"And I am?"

"I think Silver is saying is that the likelihood of the situation coming up is low between the two of you, but the chances with you starting something is higher," Zelts tried to explain as kindly as he could but all he received was an angry glare. Zelts kept driving to avoid her deadly gaze.

"Exactly, so keep it in your pants until he's legal," Silver joked. His smart remark rewarded him with a hard punch to his arm. Violet delivered it quickly and with no remorse and she listened to his painful moaning. Remus looked at Silver and Violet from the passenger seat before turning around. She seemed to silence the conversation entirely.

The drive was finally quiet as they drove to a small settlement to stay the night. Clair informed them of a sandstorm stirring on their route to Coquina and it would be impossible for them to get through it. Thankfully, the mission they were on didn't have a time limit.

Team VRSZ's mission was to seek information from the settlement's prison. She needed to know if there were any sightings of Vago. The Master of Shadows was the only member of the Ravagers not to be confirmed dead. Everyone doubted he survived, but Clair wanted to put any lingering doubts to rest.

 **Setting: Small Settlement**

The four-person group found shelter in a small inn. Violet booked them two rooms to sleep in for the night and her actions couldn't go without some form of teasing.

"You and Remus spending the night together already? After everything we just told you," Silver said in an obviously mocking manner.

She did not respond with words. Violet threw one of her Enigmas closely at his feet, causing the gunman to flinch from her sudden action.

"No weapons indoors!" the woman at the front desk of the inn scolded.

Violet grumbled before grabbing her knife off the ground. She walked away to her room, leaving the boys to share the other. Zelts knew that if Silver pushed her too hard, she'd retaliate in the worst way. Either way, the team went to their respective rooms and spent the night in peace.

 **Setting Desert**

The sandstorm finally passed, but the sun's role in the sky was replaced by the moon. Ebony and her Champions were behind schedule. To make up for lost time, they needed to traverse the desert to reach Coquina.

"It's about time," Brenton said. He was sitting on the couch with the most bored expression he could make. Behind him was Ebony who was playing with his dreads. She was able to break the lizard faunus in those few hours with her childish antics. When the sound of relentless sand pelting the exterior of the airship ceased, Brenton sprung from his seat, surprising Ebony, and ran to the control room. "I'll drive the ship!"

The Charming Vantablack pouted for a moment before smiling again. "He is so cute," she said aloud for Zinnia to hear.

The fiery-haired Underland didn't reply to the comment because she had nothing else to offer. "Should we get ready for bed? We're still pretty far from Coquina."

"Yes, get some sleep, Zinnia. We need to be fully rested for tomorrow," she answered, getting up from the couch. "Make sure Brenton isn't flying the ship all night. Goodnight."

Zinnia left to sleep in her bedroom. Monochrome, who was standing against the wall in the common room this whole time, followed behind her. Zinnia remained in the common area for a few more minutes, gazing at the clear night sky. She knew Ebony was having them go around to protect settlements and assist kingdom students to gain favor with the people. Ebony's plans were always thorough and layered and the end result of this one was for the better of Vacuo even if some intense reform was needed.

 _"I hope tomorrow's an easy thing,"_ she wished to herself then left to return to her quarters.

Hours passed and the ride through the night sky was calm. The two ladies were in their beds and Brenton was keeping himself awake with coffee so he could continue to fly the airship. He was fighting off sleep despite Zinnia's warnings and was close to drifting, but he was suddenly awakened by the sound of something slamming into the airship. It wasn't sand from a sandstorm. Whatever was hitting the airship was much bigger.

Brenton set the ship to autopilot and was about to go outside to see what was happening, but he was met with Ebony and Zinnia in the hallway. Both girls were dressed in their usual clothes though it was obvious they put them on in a hurry. The situation outside caught everyone's attention. The King of Flames intended to go outside and see what was going on, but Ebony looked at him and her stare already told him to stand down.

"You're in no condition to fight, staying up all night even though I asked you to get some rest. So, you'll stay here and keep flying the ship. If we're being attacked, I'd prefer a skilled pilot to hold the reins instead of auto-pilot."

He had no room to argue. Directly disobeying her orders once was enough for him and he'd be a hindrance in his groggy state. Brenton yawned then quickly returned to the control room where is coffee was, leaving Ebony and Zinnia to deal with the problem.

Ebony and Zinnia reached the outside of the airship and the sight before them was troubling. They saw a mass of shadows dancing on the ground with endless sound of wings flapping. Above them and surrounding the airship was an enormous swarm of Alucard Grimm. The shock on the faces of the Charming Vantablack and the Paragon perfectly described how bad their situation truly was.

Seeing the girls appear, over two dozen Alucard dove down to overwhelm them.

 **Setting: Inn Room**

Violet reached her limit with her boys. Their nonstop pestering forced her to turn in early. She wasn't even asleep, laying in bed with the remainder of her anger slowly fading away. However, if they brought it up again, Violet planned to pummel them into a bloody pulp. Right now, she focused on trying to sleep.

In the other room, Silver was still asking Remus about his relationship with Violet. It still baffled him how they came together for so long without anyone noticing.

"It's kind of makes sense why you two are together. Violet's too much for any normal guy to handle and you're definitely beyond the scope of normal. And honestly, I don't see any other girl being able t-"

"I think what Silver's trying to say is that you and Violet complement each other nicely," Zelts butted in before Silver could say anymore.

"Thanks," Remus replied, yawing afterward. Silver's endless questions were wearing him out and he wanted to sleep.

"I think you've bothered them enough, Silver," Zelts told his friend, picking up that Remus was sleepy.

"Yeah sure." Silver resigned from asking anything else. All three boys eventually went to bed. Their night peaceful and content.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Ebony's night was full of terror and danger. She and Zinnia were fighting for their lives against the horde of bat Grimm surrounding the airship. They swooped down to attack them, giving them no reprieve. Ebony cursed herself for not ordering Monochrome out of sleep mode. The never-ending assault prevented her from pulling out her scroll and ordering her robotic Champion to help her.

Zinnia used her whip-sword in conjunction with Armaments, increasing the reach of her weapon tremendously and allowing her to swing her weapon and cut down a large number of the bat monsters from a distance. Ebony focused on the ones getting too close to Zinnia and herself, shooting them to dust with her scabbard rifle, running through them with her weapon in spear form or slashing them to ribbons in sword form.

The Charming Vantablack took down each Grimm in spectacular fashion. Her movements were fluid and her attacks were dynamic. It was clear to Zinnia who able to glance at her from time to time that Ebony was a highly trained fighter. She had an inkling of this idea when they trained together, but now she understood Ebony was truly formidable. Even so, neither of them could hold their own for long against such large numbers. One misstep spelled disaster.

 _"Why are there so many and why are they here?"_ Zinnia wondered to herself. "Did the sandstorm bring them out of hiding?"

Her assumption wasn't wrong. The sandstorm played a part in flushing the Grimm out of the woodwork. Just as it is true natural terrain and barriers help keep Grimm at bay from towns and settlements, it can also be a hindrance to the people, especially in Vacuo. A sandstorm of that size was bound to hit a town and cause a lot of distress and pain for people and those emotions would definitely attract the Grimm. It was only bad luck Ebony's retinue was in the Grimm's path.

A random Alucard flew towards Ebony when her back was turned and she was taking down four other Grimm at the same time with Trois Reines in sword form. It raised its feet to dig into her flesh, but the pommel of the sword extended and smacked the creature in the face while changing her weapon back to spear form. She turned after eliminating five more enemies to see a couple of Grimm move in to attack Zinnia. Ebony grabbed her rifle and shot fired shot after shot at them, taking down six Alucards, but another six was closing in one Zinnia.

With her whip-sword extended too far to counterattack, the Paragon aimed her wrist weapon at the Grimm and fired bolts of ice dust at them, freezing them to the bone. The Grimm fell from the sky, shattering once they hit the airship or falling down to the desert meters below the battlefield. Despite her efforts, it wasn't enough to repel such large numbers. More and more Grimm flew down to attack her and they finally succeeded. Two Alucards broke through Zinnia's defenses and tackled her to the ground where they tried to bite and tear her to shreds. Zinnia used her whip-sword to get them off of her, but with each one she killed, three more took its place. Zinnia was submerged under a pile of darkness and fangs.

"Dammit!" Brenton yelled as he threw his coffee to the ground. He was doing his best to keep the airship afloat while the battle took place but hated being unable to help the others. There was nothing he could do without risking everyone's lives or destroying the airship.

His grief and regret were felt by the Alucards outside. Sensing his negative emotions, some of the Grimm landed on the airship and started clawing and biting through the metal exterior. They wanted to reach the source of the negative emotions no matter what they had to destroy to get there.

Zinnia was pinned and the airship was taking heavy damage. Ebony was watching everything unfold with a desperate expression. Her flare of emotion was a beckon for all the Grimm to swarm to her and devour her. The sound of screeching and wings flapping was all she could hear before darkness took hold of her.

Ebony lost her life in an unfortunate Grimm attack. That's the end of her story…

"Bullshit! There's no way I'm going out this way! Another run of the mill Grimm attack with not end me! I'm going to survive this along with Zinnia, and Brenton, and Monochrome! I'm not letting any of us die!"

Suddenly, a huge surge of power began coursing through her body. She didn't know what it was and it started to swell in her eyes. "What's going- AAAHHHH!?"

The power in her eyes was unleashed in a brilliant silver light, enveloping the entire airship. Looking at the monitors in the control room didn't help as light shined brightly through them and Brenton couldn't see a thing. The light of the fractured moon paled in comparison to the brilliant light in Ebony's eyes. The light began to grow dimmer until it vanishes, leaving only a flicker of silver light in Ebony's eyes.

The Charming Vantablack appeared physically drained after the unknown burst of light. Her breathing was haggard and her body was drenched in sweat. Looking around, Ebony noticed the Grimm around her were pale in color and they weren't moving. She got a better look at them and realized they weren't pale but turned to stone. The confusion was written all over her tired face.

The sound of stone crumbling was heard in the distance as Zinnia smashed through all of the stone Grimm surrounding her with her whip-sword. A moment later, all the Alucard on the airship began to crumble into dust while the ones in the air fell to the earth below. Somehow, someway, all the Grimm were vanquished.

"What the hell happened?" Brenton wondered from the control room. He realized the battle was over and quickly set the ship to autopilot and rushed to get outside with the others.

Everything was getting blurry for Ebony. Her legs felt incredibly weak while the rest of her body became too heavy for her and she slumped down to her knees. Seeing her liege in such a weakened state made Zinnia sprint to her side. Ebony fell forward but kept herself up with her arms. Sweat was dripping from her face and pelted the metal hull of the airship.

 _"What was that?"_ Ebony thought to herself.

"Ebony, are you…" Zinnia asked as she knelt down to Ebony's side. She wrapped her arms around Ebony and lifted her up. Her legs were still weak, so Zinnia had to carry her back inside. Brenton met them as soon as they got inside and carried Ebony bridal style to her quarters.

The Charming Vantablack was placed on her bed with her two Champions looking at her with worry. They stopped caring about how the battle ended and focused on her well-being. Seeing how concerned they were made Ebony smile a little. She was happy she had people she could depend on.

"It might be best if we put our current mission on hold, Ebony," Zinnia told her softly. "You're too weak to carry out any task you planned to accomplish."

"…" Ebony fell silent and shifted her eyes to her body. She was too exhausted to do anything and figured a night's rest wasn't enough to mend it.

"Not to mention the airship has taken considerable damage. We'll need to stop somewhere we can get it repaired," Brenton added, keeping the same tone he always had. He kept his emotions in check since Zinnia was slightly compromised.

"Figures," Ebony responded. "Nothing comes easy… We'll withdraw from our original plan and find someplace to repair the airship."

"Okay," Zinnia answered.

"Now, let me get some rest…" Ebony was already sleeping. Her breathing was sound and she didn't appear to have any serious injuries. Resting was the best thing for her.

Zinnia and Brenton left the room and regrouped in the common area. The latter had a question for the Paragon. "What was that bright light?"

"I don't know, but I noticed something about it at the end… It came from Ebony," Zinnia revealed.

There was no shock or awe in Brenton's face. The serious looks on their faces remained with this new piece of information. Cooler heads always prevailed.

"Does she have some kind of special power? Maybe her semblance?" he suggested.

She didn't answer right away. Ebony's semblance was a secret between the two of them. Even though Brenton was loyal, Zinnia didn't want to tell him about Charm until Ebony was ready to tell him. "I'm not entirely sure. Semblances don't work like that."

"…"

"…"

Neither could come up with answer to the mystery. With nothing else to say or discuss, Brenton sighed. "It's getting late. I'll land this thing near a town then go to bed. You do the same."

"Yeah," Zinnia replied and the two Champions went their separate ways.

Zinnia still wondered what that power was and how it manifested. She had never seen it before and questioned if it was unique to Ebony or some special ability. However, thoughts like those would cause sleep to elude her and Zinnia was ready to close her eyes and let her dreams take her away.

"A question for another day."

Ebony slept soundly in her room, dreaming about her friends and teammates. A small smile formed on her face and beneath her eyelids, the same light from earlier was flickering.


	36. Extracurricular Encounter

**A/N: I don't own any of the characters associated with the RWBY series. All rights belong to Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

 **Setting: Small Settlement**

"AAAAAAHHHHH," Silver yawned loudly from the lobby of the inn. He stretched his arms high over his head and bent his back as far as he could without falling over.

He was loud and disruptive to everyone there, including Remus and Zelts who were waiting for their leader to appear from her room.

"What's taking her so long?" Silver complained. "We should we been on the road half an hour ago."

"He's right," Zelts thought, "She never makes us wait on a mission,"

"Hey, Remus! Go up there and tell your girlfriend to come down-"

"Morning, Violet," Remus said happily while Silver and Zelts were confused.

Out of nowhere, Silver was knocked to the ground and Zelts was taken aback by the sudden incident. The gunman felt something hit his cheek but there was nothing or anyone around. He connected the dots quickly.

"Dammit, Violet… that's how you say good morning to someone?" he sighed, rubbing his wounded face.

"That's what you get for making jokes about us," Violet said as she deactivated Invisibility. The veil of tulip flowers swirling around her as she reappeared in front of the prone gunslinger.

There was no anger or irritation in her voice or any frustration in Silver's face. She punched like a reflex and he accepted it as an everyday occurrence. The relationship between Violet and Silver was peculiar to everyone who didn't know them.

"I'm still surprised you know when she's around," Zelts commented to Remus.

"It's nothing. I'm just really familiar with Violet," he answered.

"Yeah, _real_ _familiar_ ," Silver commented from the floor and received a boot to his thigh. She pressed her foot against him for his not so sly innuendo.

"It's little remarks like that and everyone's obsessive jabbering that kept me up all night. I slept in a few minutes late. So what?! Nobody's perfect."

"Even the Violent Flower has her off days," Zelts said.

"Don't call me that. It's bad enough that's my moniker in Vacuo, but I don't want to hear you guys call me that… Am I that violent and aggressive?"

Remus and Zelts say nothing. The only thing they do is look down at Silver who was still on the ground as Violet continued to painfully grind her heel against him.

 _"Violent Flower sounds about right,"_ they both thought but didn't say aloud.

Team VRSZ got in the Fantasia and continued their journey to Coquina for their mission.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

"You look like shit," Brenton told Ebony who was still bed-ridden.

He stood in the doorway of Ebony's room while she was sitting in her bed, looking exactly like he described. Sitting next to her was Zinnia who was tended to the Charming Vantablack and did not take kindly to Brenton's words.

"Get out!" Zinnia barked back. She gritted her teeth and furrowed her brow at the lizard faunus. His disregard for whom he works for was one thing that irritated her. While they may be members of Ebony's Champions and able to work together effectively, they were still very different people.

Ebony, the recipient of the insult chuckled. "I really do look like shit. What's the status on the airship?" she asked him.

"The town we're in has some blacksmiths and ironworkers, based on a few metal buildings around here. They said they can the ship repaired in two days. Good thing those Grimm didn't damage it too much."

"It'll give you time to rest," Zinnia told Ebony who sighed in response.

"Looks like my plans going to be delayed. I hope nothing happens before I'm back on my feet."

"Oh, Ebony. We wanted to ask you about t what happened last night. What did you do? What was that light? How did you turn those Grimm to stone?" Zinnia asked. The curiosity she kept within reached its limit.

"…I'm not sure. Where that power comes from is a complete mystery to me. I don't know a thing about it… although,"

"Although what?" Brenton pressed her to continue.

"I remember my aunt telling me something. Aunt Carabosse said there was something that made me special compared to everyone else. Honestly, I think she was just raising my ego so I would help her. It's probably nothing, but still… Brenton, can you do me a favor?"

"What do you need?"

"Carabosse's room is a few doors down from mine. You'll see it on your left. She had written notes and wrote in a personal journal at times. Could you find whatever you can and bring them to me? Maybe she has something about that light turning Grimm to stone."

"Sure," he answered. He left to fulfill his task, leaving the two girls alone.

"You think you'll find anything?" Zinnia wondered.

"Probably. My aunt was insane, but there was definitely a method to her madness. Like I said, maybe we'll find something. And if not, I can at least clear out her room. I've been… pushing that chore away for some time."

Ebony's confession was the truth, but she refrained from telling Zinnia she hesitated out of guilt. She told Zinnia and Brenton her history with Carabosse, including how it ended. It had to be done to further her ambitions, but telling herself that didn't wash away the guilt from killing her family. Getting rid of her stuff felt disrespectful, but it needed to be done.

"I hope we get some information," Zinnia responded hopefully and it made Ebony smile.

"Besides research, what else am I supposed to do to fight the boredom?" Ebony asked in a whiny tone.

"Focus on getting better," Zinnia responded flatly.

Ebony pouted. "You're such a mom."

Zinnia was relieved. The Charming Vantablack she knew was back.

 **Setting: Coquina**

The sun blazed in the sky, hardly near the peak of its arc, showing it was early in the afternoon. The day was still young and there was much left to do. The settlement known as Coquina was located in the middle of Vacuo. It was fairly populated and the size was decent for many demographics. Most of the buildings were made of stone and sculpted like the ones in the kingdom but less decorative.

Coquina was known for housing two institutions. The first was Oscuro Academy, a combat school for Huntsmen and Huntresses in-training and the second was a prison. Both buildings were far away from the other as to prevent any complications, however, they were close enough for academy students to act as guards in case any prisoners tried to escape. The academy was located near the center of Coquina while the prison was further south.

"This place is nice. It's not what I expected, especially if it holds a prison," Zelts admitted as they drove into and through Coquina.

Violet drove the Fantasia into the settlement with her boys by her side. Traversing through the town granted them many onlookers. Violet assumed it was because rumors and stories were currently spreading about them. She preferred it when they could walk around town completely unnoticed. Remus and Zelts figured it was because people had never seen a hovercar before. Silver was taking in the sights more than anything else. He had never been in Coquina before.

"We can have this mission finished in no time. And afterward, we can take a nice stroll around town," Silver suggested. His carefree demeanor was showing during this assignment.

The others weren't going to dissuade him from his lofty idea. All they had to do was gather any information about Vago. If they heard he was alive, then Clair planned to handle it, but nothing needed to be done if they haven't heard anything.

The route the team took led them straight to the prison which they could see from a distance. It was one of the larger buildings in Coquina and very noticeable. The reason was that the prison wasn't made out of stone like the other buildings. It was constructed using the enormous shells of flatback slides as material. The shells were some of the most durable things anyone could find in Vacuo, making nearly impossible for anyone to break in and Oscuro Academy close by with students ready to prove their mettle made it nearly impossible to break out.

Once you were imprisoned in Coquina, you're staying in Coquina.

After reaching the prions, Violet parked the Fantasia and her crew stood next to the building, staring up at it with wonder.

"I shouldn't have to say this but don't do anything stupid," Violet informed her team, but her words and eyes were pointed at Silver.

This was not lost on the gunslinger glanced at his leader with knowing smirk. "I would never," he replied with sarcasm. "Seriously, I won't do anything to get us in trouble. I'm following your lead."

"…You better," Violet said before walking inside with her boys following behind her.

An hour passed with Team VRSZ still inside the prison. They broke into two groups, asking the prison warden, guards, and willing prisoners if they heard anything about Vago. All their attempts gave them the same two answers; "Who is that?" "Never heard of him." Instead of referring to Vago by his name, the team tried to describe him with his semblance. Once again, no one has heard anything about someone fitting their description. The search was coming up the same for all of them. Vago was nowhere to be seen. He was most likely dead after the final battle in Fortuna.

Outside the prison, four people were approaching the facility. One of them was a woman who was handcuffed and looked like she has seen better days. Next to her, with a hand on her back, was a young man leading her toward the prison along with two other boys. The one guiding the woman was a tall, muscular man with dark skin and green hair. Something noticeable about him was the lack of shirt, wearing a jacket with green wings over his body and a massive sword on his back.

One of the other boys had red hair in an undercut and went down over his right eye. His left eye was green and there were several markings around it. He wore a white shirt with matching white pants and black boots. Over his left shoulder was a red jacket and he wore a belt with two pieces of equipment. Strapped to his right side was a cutlass and on his left was a pistol. He was armed for combat, but he looked bored with the situation.

The third one was a young man with spiky, light blue hair in an undercut, dark blue eyes, tan skin, and a pair of yellow goggles on his forehead. He wore a red jacket over a white dress shirt, a black tie, and gray jeans. He also had on a pair of gray gloves and black padding strapped to his outer thighs. On his back was a gray rifle. He had the biggest smile on his face and he was bursting with eagerness.

"All right! Mission accomplished, junior detectives!" the blue-haired one said with a pep in his step. The others weren't as enthusiastic.

"Could you knock it off with that junior detective stuff? We're not in Beacon anymore," the red-haired one complained.

"Come on. I'm just glad we caught the bad guy so easily."

"That's not how I remember it. Last time I checked, we had to rescue you after you tried wooing her. Did you forget she was the target?" the green-haired one said, exasperated with his teammate.

"Don't be like that, Sage. It all ended with a victory, right? Scarlet?" the blue-haired one directed this question at the red-haired one named Scarlet since Sage wasn't having any of his nonsense.

"Neptune… ha, never mind. It's pointless trying to talk to you," Scarlet said, giving up on convincing Neptune otherwise.

"When is Sun gonna come back? He may be wild, but he's not as reckless as you," Sage told Neptune who looked slightly hurt by his comment.

"Really?" Neptune asked and got the same answer from Sage and Scarlet.

"Yes."

Neptune lowered his head in shame. _"I thought I was doing great as a leader…"_

"Look, Sage and I will turn her in before you have the chance to ask her out. We'll be right back and we can go out for a victory feast," Scarlet said, placing a hand on Neptune's shoulder.

The pseudo-leader of the team perked up before his friends went inside the prison with their captive.

Neptune waited outside the prison for ten minutes, eyeing all the lovely girls that passed by. He talked to a few of them but was getting turned down. The front doors to the prison opened and he turned to chat with his teammates.

"Hey, you guys won't believe what kind of-" he stopped speaking when he realized it wasn't Sage or Scarlet at the door. Standing before him was a young woman with purple hair, purple eyes, and a scar stretching across her nose and beneath her left eye.

"Uh, do I know you?" Violet asked when Neptune approached her. She was certain she never met him before.

"Ah…" Neptune was stunned by the surprise but was taken aback by Violet's beauty. He found the scar beneath her eye charming and it didn't take much focus from her overall attractiveness.

He completely forgot about his friends. Meanwhile, Violet's friends were behind her, listening to the conversation. Remus, Silver, and Zelts waited to see who this person was and what he wanted. Neptune made his intentions clear.

"Hey, lovely. The name's Neptune. Do you mind keeping me company until my friends arrive?" Neptune asked with his suave, cool guy persona was taking over. He had his hand out for her to take.

Now, it was Violet's turn to be taken aback. This was unexpected and unwanted. Silver held back a laugh by placing his hands over his mouth. Zelts eyes widened. This was the first time he has ever seen Violet be hit on by anyone besides Solis. The only one who pleased with Neptune acted.

A burst of blue smoke appeared between Violet and Neptune with the latter being surprised. While not surprised by his semblance, Violet wasn't expecting Remus to get aggressive when someone tried to woo her. Neptune was met with Remus standing in front of him and glaring at him.

"AH! Where did you come from?!" Neptune asked in brief shock.

"Go away," Remus replied, keeping his miffed expression.

Silver and Zelts walked past the door to see everything unfold for themselves. Neptune noticed the increase in their numbers and thought he may have started something he shouldn't. _"Where are the guys when you need them?"_

Answering his prayers, Scarlet and Sage were walking toward the door when they noticed the group of people standing at the door. They saw Violet, Silver, and Zelts, but not Remus or their teammate. There was definitely some commotion going on and it grabbed their attention. Scarlet squinted his eyes then leaned toward Sage.

"Hey, that girl in front. Recognize her?" he asked.

"Hm," Sage quietly agreed.

"She's the one the professors told us to look out for… and the same goes for her friends. They're Team VRSZ."

"Remember the protocol?" Sage asked as he reached for his weapon.

"Yeah, apprehend them on sight," Scarlet answered and reached for his sword and pistol without their targets knowing.

* * *

 **Like I said earlier, now that I know who is in Vacuo, I plan on bringing them into the story. Team SSSN was interesting, but a fun choice to go with. I don't know much about Scarlet or Sage, but I'll keep them as close to the source material as I can.**

 **As you can tell, Remus is a bit of a jealous type when it comes to Violet. Violet doesn't mind because she likes seeing this new side of him.**

 **One question several people have asked Violet is why she chose to be with Remus. This question doesn't bother her and she answers honestly. "I'm always happy when I'm around him." The feeling was mutual for Remus.**


	37. VRSZ Team SSSN

**A/N: I don't own any of the characters associated with the RWBY series. All rights belong to Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

 **Setting: Coquina**

"Hey, buddy. Calm down," Neptune said to Remus who was in his personal space and acting as a barrier to separate him from Violet.

"Go away," Remus said in a blunt, rude fashion none of his friends ever heard. "She's not interested." His eyes were on Neptune and it looked like he was staring past Neptune's eyes and into his soul. Making faces like this made Remus's amber eyes appear frightening.

Silver and Zelts were watching from behind with the former giggling to himself. Violet wasn't a bystander like them, but she silently viewed the scene in front of her.

Neptune stood his ground and said, "How about we let the lady decide who she's interested in."

"I'm not interested in you," she said to make it clear. Neptune took a step back with her statement and Remus was satisfied with his reaction.

 _"Rejected again… Don't let them see you cry, Neptune,"_ he thought comedically but he did look visibly hurt outwardly.

Zelts watched but sensed something was wrong. The air around them suddenly got tense, but it wasn't coming from Neptune. He checked his right and saw nothing then checked his left and he saw the figure of someone wielding a large sword, ready to strike. The attack came to quickly. The quickest response Zelts could muster was to raise his Heart of Gold half up to block the attack, but he could only protect his lower half as his arm and chest were struck by the sword and knocked away from the prison doors and into the streets.

This ambush took everyone by surprise, even Neptune as he witnessed Sage strike someone down without provocation. _"Great, now she'll definitely won't want to go out with me,"_

"Sage! What are you doing?!" Neptune asked in shock and disbelief.

Violet wasted no time and pulled an Enigma from her bag and threw it at Sage while Silver and Remus prepared for battle by drawing their weapons. The throwing knife was on its way to Sage until a cutlass deflected the smaller blade and another person rushed into the battle. Scarlet used his surprise entrance to protect his friend then deliver a swift kick to Silver who was closest to the duo. Silver was kicked a few feet away, landing in front of Zelts who recovered from the first preemptive strike.

"Scarlet!... What is going on?!" Neptune demanded.

"You really are clueless," Scarlet chastised him. "Don't you know who these people are?"

"They're Team VRSZ!" Sage answered for Neptune. "Shade Academy wants these guys arrested on sight!"

Finally catching up with what they were saying, Neptune got a better look at Violet and Remus. They were the people on the Academy's wanted list. He instinctively reached for his rifle. His move alerted Remus who stepped into Neptune's space and landed an upward slash against his chest with Delta, lifted the young man off his feet. Violet used his surprise attack to attack Sage and Scarlet, throwing four Enigmas at the ground in front of them. The dust in the hilt was fire and the knives exploded together, creating a large burst of flames that blew them away.

Unfortunately, the explosion was in front of the prison and the guards from the inside went into a frenzy. Not to mention an explosion going off in the middle of town would scare anyone. If Team VRSZ stayed any longer, they'd have to deal with all the guards in Coquina's prison. The best option was to run, but the three members of Team SSSN didn't intend to let them go.

The smoke cleared with Sage and Scarlet in the streets with Silver and Zelts. Remus was further away from his allies, dealing with Neptune who finally had Tri-Hard in his hands. Violet was nowhere to be seen.

Silver charged toward Scarlet and Sage with Fenrir as escrima sticks with Zelts splitting his shield into wingblades. The red-haired fighter aimed his pistol at his incoming opponent and fired several shots, but Silver stepped away from each one as he closed the distance. Sage rushed to get between the two combatants before Silver could reach and swung his sword downward, slicing into the sandy floor and nothing else. The gunman leaped high above them before the sword could make contact. He changed his escrima sticks back to guns and aimed them at the duo. Sage brought his sword up to function as a shield and Scarlet backed away, but Silver didn't fire a shot.

While they were distracted, Zelts rushed toward them and spun around to stir wind around his wingblades. He sent a strong gust of wind their way and blew them away. Sage skidded across the ground while Scarlet was knocked off his feet, but he landed on them once he reached the ground. Silver fired several rounds at Scarlet's feet and his enemy responded by backing away, doing what Silver wanted and separated the duo. Zelts swung one of his wingblades at Sage's massive sword. Sage braced himself and blocked the strike with his blade but the force of Zelts's blow pushed him aside. Scarlet was prepared to attack Zelts while his back was turned, but Silver dropped down to block his path and aimed one of his guns in Scarlet's face, forcing him to back away.

Sage slammed his sword against Zelts's wingblades and Zelts blocked while taking a step back to safely create some distance between them. With the display of strength, Sage felt confident he could overpower his opponent. Zelts, however, was unimpressed by his actions and began to spin in place to conjure a tornado. This green vortex grew in size but wasn't large enough to cause any serious damage to the settlement. It did bring back some humiliating memories for Sage as he thought back to his brief time in the Vytal Festival Tournament. With a swing of his arms, Zelts sent the tornado Sage's way as the Huntsman in-training still had no means to counter such an attack.

"Not again!" he screamed as he was sucked into the tornado and carried away from the battlefield.

Tri-Hard was in its trident form as Neptune fought Remus who looked at the blue-haired boy with irritation. Several thrust attacks were made against Remus, but he moved out of the way of each one until he blocked the last one with Delta. His action caused Neptune to smirk as he pressed a button on his weapon. Suddenly, electricity was running through the three prongs of Tri-Hard and it ran through Delta and shocked Remus. The Blue Flicker back away and Neptune laughed at his literal shock only serving to fan the flames of anger he already possessed.

It wasn't enough that Remus had to beat him, he had to make sure it hurt.

Remus withdrew his sword and quickly stepped into Neptune's space. The swiftness of his movements left Neptune utterly surprised and unprepared when Remus struck him with a palm strike to his right arm then another to his gut. His proximity made it difficult for Neptune to use his weapon properly. It was best used to keep foes at a distance but worked poorly in such a close-quarters fight. A blow to the chin and two to the shoulder. Remus was overwhelming Neptune with his speed as he couldn't muster a proper counterattack. His unrelenting strikes were dwindling Neptune's aura and getting on his nerves.

 _"Dammit! He's too fast!"_ Neptune thought in frustration and acted upon his anger. Using what little reprieve Remus gave him, Neptune slammed his trident into the ground in front of him, forcing Remus to back away. The lightning dust surging through the weapon was released in a small burst that covered a couple of feet surrounding him. After his attempt to get rid of Remus, Neptune fell down to one knee and was catching his breath, feeling his aura fade away.

 _"I'll admit it. These guys are a pain… No wonder the Academy wants them arrested,"_ he thought to himself as he watched Remus approach him.

His march was cut short when the prison alarm began deafening the area. It caught everyone's attention as the fighting was brought to a halt. Neptune grinned when he realized what the alarm meant.

"Oh yeah! The cavalry's coming!" he shouted in joy and triumph.

Instead of guards marching through the front doors, metal gates were coming down over the doors. This tactic was peculiar for a prison trying to apprehend a group.

"They're going into lockdown?" Neptune wondered aloud, hoping someone could quell his bewilderment. The reason for an of this became clear when a certain person rushed through the doors.

"Let's go, now!" Violet shouted at her team as she ran through the prison doors before the metal bar doors reached the ground. She sprinted past her teammates and Team SSSN to get to the Fantasia.

Zelts was the first to follow her and Silver was second, leaving a confused Scarlet behind. Neptune expected to see Remus running, but didn't see him join his accomplices. He turned to see what he was doing and saw Remus leaping toward him. Still upset with Neptune hitting on Violet, Remus dealt his final blow. He delivered a satisfying kick to Neptune's face, sending the lady's man off the stairs of the prison and he landed in the sand below. With his revenge complete, Remus rushed to the Fantasia, quickly passing by Silver and Zelts, making it to the Fantasia's passenger seat when Violet started the engine.

Sage was lost somewhere in Coquina, Scarlet was frustrated with their encounter, and Neptune cupped his wounded cheek as Team VRSZ made their escape.

 **Setting: Desert**

"What were you doing in prison?" Remus asked Violet now that they were out of Coquina.

Violet told them how she re-entered the prison at the beginning of the battle and silently traversed through to reach the control room. She pressed the button to lock down the entire building and trap all the guards inside so VRSZ wouldn't have to fight against so many opponents at once. She also mentioned how she had to fight through a few guards to race to the door.

"It ended better than I thought," Violet admitted.

"Really, it seems like every time we go somewhere, we have to fight someone. It's getting pretty stale," Silver commented from the backseat.

"You say that like we plan it. At least today we stopped fighting till the end and just left," Zelts said, happy to know things didn't fall under their regular routine.

"Routine or not, we accomplished our mission. Vago hasn't been seen since Fortuna. Guess he's dead," Violet said.

"Even if he wasn't, I don't think he's going to be a problem for us again. I mean, what can that guy do to us now that he's alone?" Silver asked, convinced Vago isn't worth thinking about.

"He's right," Remus said.

"And forget about Vago. I wanna talk about that guy trying to make a move on you, Vi," Siler said with a chuckle in his voice.

"Shut up, Silver," she responded bluntly. Looking over to Remus, she could tell from his furrowed brow he didn't want to go further into this topic.

"Actually, I think those guys may have been different from the usual people we fight. They seemed more coordinated than most," Zelts said, thinking about Team SSSN.

"They obviously weren't a rag-tag group of bandits," Violet mentioned.

"In a way, fighting them felt somewhat similar to fighting CLSH," Zelts said when the revelation came to him. His statement did make the others look his way. Zelts was right. That trio had the same vibe as Team CLSH.

"So, they were academy students," Remus said aloud.

"Then it's a good thing we stopped the fight there. Wouldn't want to make the kingdom hate us more than it already does," Silver said.

"True… Let's head home and hope this is the end of it," Violet told her team as they drove home.

Just like she said, Violet hoped their little incident wasn't the start of something big.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

The airship remained in the town for the whole day while repairs were being made to its exterior. Within the vehicle was Ebony who was still tired from her unknown power, but regained enough strength to stand and walk. She was moving at a slower pace than normal, but Ebony was entering the common area with Zinnia with her to serve as support, even though Ebony told her repeatedly she didn't need it. She purposely put Monochrome on standby in her room to prove she didn't need to rely on anyone else.

"I keep telling you, I'm fine. I can get around on my own," Ebony insisted.

"And I'll keep telling you that I won't leave your side until you are fully recovered, Lady Ebony." Zinnia remained stubborn. She even addressed Ebony formally to show her resolve.

Hearing Zinnia use 'Lady Ebony' made the Charming Vantablack roll her eyes in irritation. She hated the use of higher positions and social status when they didn't matter and it never mattered to her. For now, Ebony didn't say anything to the person tending to her needs. She would allow Zinnia to use the title this time.

"Fine," Ebony said in a defeated manner as she made her way to her small table.

The chessboard she had was set up for a new game with the black and white pieces reset. She sat in the chair with the black pieces in front of her and stared at the board intently. Zinnia picked up on this and decided to sit in the seat with the white pieces in front of her. Ebony's tunnel vision on the chessboard made her unaware of Zinnia until she sat down. She looked up suddenly with wide eyes and a surprised face like she forgot Zinnia was with her.

"Do you want to play a game?" Zinnia offered with a smile.

"…Sure. Show me what you can do. I'm not one to go easy on anyone, just to let you know," Ebony replied playfully.

They started their game. Both of them were intellectuals and sharp-witted which made the game more difficult for another. Ebony got the upper hand until Zinnia returned it to a stalemate, or outplayed her and the cycle continued as their pieces began leaving the board on every turn.

"Hmm. Wow, you are probably the most challenging adversary I've ever played," Ebony admitted before making her move, taking away a white rook.

"Thank you, it's been some time since I played chess, but it's all coming back to me," Zinnia answered as she took a black knight.

Though the praise she gave Zinnia filled the Paragon with pride, Ebony withheld one bit of information from her friend. The chessboard was set up for someone to play, but Ebony planned on playing with a certain person in mind. She had the game set so for that person, not Zinnia, but one game with her was harmless. She could reset the board once the game was done.

The chess game continued for some time as Ebony and Zinnia were in an intense state of focus. Nothing going on around them grabbed their attention until they heard the sound of Brenton's voice booming through the room.

"Hey! Did you guys hear what happened today in Coquina?" he shouted at them, standing through the hallway passage.

Both girls jolted up from their seats and near toppled the chessboard. Ebony held it in place while Zinnia made sure nothing fell out of place.

"What the hell, Brenton?!" Zinnia snapped in irritation.

"Can't you use your indoor voice?" Ebony barked at him.

The game was too intense for it to end so abruptly.

The lizard faunus raised his eyebrow at them. "Glad to see you're doing better," he said toward Ebony who calmed down a bit. "Anyway, something happened in Coquina about an hour ago. VRSZ got into a fight with some academy students."

This information erased the angry looks to ones of curiosity. Coquina was their destination and it seems events were destined to happen there. Ebony was concerned to know what her favorite group was doing in the settlement they were going to go.

"Seems like we missed out on something interesting. What happened during the fight?" she asked.

"There's not much to report. Team VRSZ ran into a Huntsmen in-training team and fought. They escaped before the fight could finish, but it was enough of an incident to spread around like this," Brenton replied.

"Maybe this is the push the higher-ups in Shade Academy need to do things your way," Zinnia said to Ebony who grinned in response. She was right, this incident could turn things in her favor even more so.

"Then I guess today wasn't a complete loss. New powers and an upset kingdom are music to my ears."

"What should we do next?" Brenton asked Ebony.

"Zinnia, you're sharp. What do you think our next course of action should be?" Ebony asked her confidant with an air of certainty.

The Paragon didn't hesitate to answer. "Nothing until the airship is repaired. We wait for a call from Headmaster Theodore asking us to assist with taking down Team VRSZ. We'll provide him what he'll need in exchange for something that gets us closer to your goal, recognition."

Ebony sighed before bearing a smile. "There's no one else I'd rather have as my confidant," she whispered to Zinnia so Brenton couldn't hear. "Exactly, she gets it," she said aloud for Brenton.

"We wait for the kingdom to come to us, so enjoy the free time while you have it, Brenton. Zinnia, let's resume our-" Ebony's words were cut short when she heard her scroll go off. The caller I.D. belonged to Professor Theodore.

She sighed in exasperation and humor. "Perhaps things work too well for us," she commented with a smile. Ebony picked up the phone while her Champions waited for her call to be finished.

"Hello?" she said all too happy to answer the call.


	38. No Going Back

**Setting: Nexus Council Building**

Zelts walked through the halls of the Nexus until he found himself in front of Clair's office door. Despite no longer being a monarch, she still had a seat of power and that seat was behind a desk and surrounded by paperwork. The Lady of Nexus was waiting for the Knight of the Wind inside her office, but he didn't know why. All she told him on his scroll was to come to her. He hoped his answer wouldn't be anything complicated or outlandish, but knowing Clair, he figured it was something important. He knocked on her door.

"Clair, it's me," he called out to her and waited for a response which he got immediately.

"Perfect, come in," he heard her say from the other side. Clair's tone was cheerful as usual, so it was a good sign the meeting wasn't about anything serious or something downcast. He stepped into her office and found Clair doing the usual signing and approving of contracts for the reconstruction of the town. She was much more chipper about it after the festival Evergreen co-hosted with her. Donations made the repairs go by that much smoother and Virago's restoration allowed the workers to put all their efforts back toward Nexus. The rate of repairs was finishing faster than originally projected and the expansion would go underway as planned before the raid. Clair couldn't contain how pleased she was these past several days and it was obvious to everyone.

She rose from her seat and walked toward Zelts with a smile. "I have something for you that you can't show to the outside. I see that look on your face. It's nothing dangerous or sketchy, but I'd be in a bit of a bind if people knew it existed."

 _"Now I'm not sure if I want to know what she has,"_ Zelts thought. He wondered if it was too late to head back home.

Clair held her hand out while holding her scroll. He didn't notice much about it until he found a small, circular object on the back of it. It was gray and metallic with no noticeable features. Clair pulled it off the back of her scroll and gave it to Zelts.

"This is something Onyx created per my request, a CCD."

"CCD? Any relation to a CCT?"

"Yes, the Cross-Continental Device functions similar to a CCT, but on a smaller scale. When this device is placed on a scroll or any machine capable of communications, it can call or message anyone in Remnant, regardless of the CCTs being out of commission," Clair explained and Zelts mouth was left slightly open.

"Really?" he asked while looking at the CCD in wonder.

"It does have a drawback. Only the scroll with the CCD attached can do this. The recipient in another continent like Atlas or Mistral won't be able to respond to messages. The conversations with this thing are a little one-sided, but you'll be able to say hello to someone far away."

One person came to Zelts mind. The person he'd love to talk to all the time; Lily. He looked at Clair whose face lit up, showing she knew exactly who he was thinking of. "This would be better than sending written letters, right? I know you plan on going to Lily, but use this to send her messages and let her know you're coming."

"I… I don't know what to say. This is…" Zelts was so overjoyed with this gift he was tongue-tied. He couldn't get the words out, but Clair understood the sentiment.

"Your welcome," she said as she put the CCD in his hands. "Just place it on the back of your scroll and you're good to go. I'll leave so you can talk to Lily. As I said, the CCD is highly illegal, so we can't have other people knowing about it. Take care, darling," Clair said before walking out of her office.

Zelts wasted no time. He attached the CCD to his scroll and all of its functions returned. He quickly clicked on Lily's contact info and called her. Finally, the scroll was ringing. The CCTs being shutdown was no longer a barrier for Zelts and Lily anymore.

"Hello?" he heard her voice after so many months and it brought a smile to his face and an exhale of a breath he was holding in anticipation.

"Hey, Lily," he answered with sweet love and he heard a sharp intake on the other end. He felt the same. Neither could believe they were talking to one another.

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

This was getting ridiculous to Silver. He was cooking in the kitchen, getting meals prepared while watching his friend and leader pace around the living room. Violet was walking around the house with a contorted face. She seemed to be deep in thought about something. At times, she would stop walking and look out any nearby window for a minute before returning to her indoor walking.

"If you keeping stressing over this, your hair's gonna fall out before dinner," Silver told her from the kitchen.

"Having a certain level of caution is beneficial. You're telling me that you're not worried about him?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the window.

"Yeah, but this is Remus we're talking about. He's not the brightest bulb in the pack when it comes to street smarts, but he's pretty decent in every other area. Plus, we know where he's going. He'll be perfectly fine," Silver answered, cutting a fish.

He bought a hearty amount of fish at the trading district. The shops from Treasure Trove Wharf caught a massive haul this week and were selling them to whoever could pay. Silver was more than happy to experiment and create some new dishes for everyone to try.

"I know that, but he didn't tell us why." Silver couldn't deny the fact Remus was withholding information, but he was not known for keeping nefarious secrets. That was his forte. He may not have been as worried as Violet, but Silver did wonder what Remus was doing.

 **Setting: Fortuna**

Moving through the desert was an extremely small sandstorm that was moving in a straight line at high speed. It clearly wasn't a natural phenomenon and that was made clear when it reached a certain destination, Fortuna. It stopped instantly in front of the ruined settlement and the clearing of kicked up sand showed the source of this linear sandstorm was the Blue Flicker himself, Remus Cobalt.

His brow had traces of sweat and he was breathing a little heavier than normal. Wrapped around his waist was a belt with four bottles of water attached to them. One was already empty and Remus grabbed another, drinking half of it before placing it back. With a big sigh, he looked out to the desolate place he once called home.

Fortuna was no longer the home of Vacuo's underworld thanks to their efforts. The final battle here scared the other rogues away and kept it abandoned, sort of. Every now and then, Grimm would wander into this old place but Remus had no plan to battle them. He didn't come here for a fight. He was looking for something and knew where to find it. Without missing a beat, Remus raced to the former capital of Fortuna, Vantablack, the area where his old home was.

Moving as fast as he was, Remus was able to take in some of the sights with a sense of nostalgia. Memories of his teammates and friends swam through his mind and a smile grew on his face. It didn't take Remus long to reach the location where his old home once stood. The building they used to reside in was in ruins but remains of it were still where he and his friends left it.

 _"I hope it's still there,"_ he thought wistfully.

The sound of stone being crushed alerted Remus to a few Grimm roaming the area. The Grimm were two Creeps just skulking around. "Easy," he said with confidence.

In one swift movement, one Creep was slashed in half with a single swing of Delta. The Grimm had no time to do anything, not even scream. The second looked over to where its friend was and only saw its body disintegrate. Falling from above, Remus landed on top of the Creep and plunged his sword through the head of the monster, silencing both with little effort.

Placing his sword back on his back then rummaged through the rubble to search for the item he was looking for. He found many things the team once possessed, most of it was broken, but he didn't find what he was looking for yet. For over an hour, Remus moved debris and searched without a break until he finally found what he was looking for. Remus grabbed the item from among the rubble and held it in his hands. He smiled victoriously.

"YES! Oops…" Remus slammed his hand over his mouth after he shouted in triumph.

"RRRRAAAAAARRRRGGGG!" the creatures of Grimm shrieked. They were honing in on his location.

"Uh-oh."

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

"You actually have something like that?" Silver asked Clair from the kitchen. He held several plates with an assortment of seafood for dinner. Most were fish while others included shrimp, mussels, and other delicacies. His entrees were mouth-watering, but they would have to wait until Zelts and Remus returned to partake. Ghost, Bianca, Blood, Azura, Onyx, and C.P. were coming as well to have a fun get together. They haven't done something like this in a very long time, not since their time in Fortuna.

"Don't tell anyone about the CCD. It's like owning a pickup truck. Once everyone knows you have it, there go your weekends," Clair explained from the couch. After talking, she watched Violet walk by.

She continued to pace around the living room, continuing in the same path for two hours without rest. Over thirty minutes passed when Clair arrived home and Violet was still walking around the living room.

 _"You must really love him…"_ Clair thought to herself while grinning at her friend.

"Will you sit down already," Silver complained. "You're starting to stress me out."

Violet glanced his way with a nonchalant stare, showing she heard him, but was choosing to ignore him. This was Remus's first time on a solo mission and he refused to explain why he was going to Fortuna, their former home and the former home of rogues. She felt it was just for her heart to be uneasy.

The front door opened and Violet turned her head so fast, Clair and Silver thought it was going to pop off her neck. Her eyes brightened but the dimmed when she saw it was Zelts. She was happy to see him, but the feeling of relief didn't fill her breast. Remus still wasn't back.

"Thanks again, Clair. I really appreciate it. Let me know if you need anything. I'll pay you back, somehow," Zelts said with a big smile on his face.

"Don't worry about it. Friends help each other because they're friends. You don't owe me anything and I don't expect a reward," Clair answered.

"Speak for yourself. If you're not owing me favors, you're not doing something wrong as my friend," Silver muttered to himself.

The aroma of fish and crab reached Zelts's nostrils and he took a big whiff of the cuisine Silver made. His stomach growled lightly. "I take it dinner's ready?"

"Not yet. We're having a party so we gotta wait for the rest of our guests to arrive," Silver told him. Glancing around, Zelts did take note that Remus wasn't here. He wasn't present when his friend said he was going to Fortuna so he assumed Remus was somewhere in Nexus. The front door opened again and the person on everyone's mind walked through.

"Hey guys," Remus said casually with a smile. He came back rougher than when he left. His clothes had a few rips and he was covered in sand.

"Finally, you're back," Silver shouted. He was just glad Violet would finally calm down.

Almost as if she heard him and acted out in defiance, Violet marched toward Remus and slammed her fist against the top of his head. Everyone was surprised by her actions, but none more than Remus who placed his hand over the injury and looked at Violet in disbelief. Her eyes held mixed feelings: anger, worry, relief, happiness.

"Don't you ever run off again without telling me why got it?" she told him with sharpness in her voice but there was also concern mixed within. "How am I supposed to know if you're okay?"

While Violet's pacing around the house has gotten on Silver's nerves, he could say that this was Remus's fault for leaving them all in the dark, regardless of his intentions. Honestly, Remus may have done a lot, but he was still the most inexperienced one when it comes to the outside world. It would only make sense that Violet would worry about him.

"You idiot," Silver called Remus under his breath.

"I-I'm sorry," Remus answered Violet, feeling a little ashamed he made Violet react and feel this way. He didn't want to make her feel like this again. "I won't do it again…" His head was down and his eyes were on the floor with Violet's feet in front of him. She didn't walk away based on Violet's feet being in the same spot, but he did feel someone's hand on his head where she struck him.

"I'm serious. Just don't go anywhere sketchy without telling me," Violet told him. She rubbed his head affectionately to show she was over it. "You're lucky I like you so much." Violet grinned at Remus who smiled back.

"So, what did you go to Fortuna for, darling?" Clair asked.

"Oh. Right!" Remus held up the item in his left hand and showed it to everyone. The item he went to retrieve was a framed photo of them, of all of them. Team VRSZ, Team CLSH, Clair, The Enforcers, Onyx, C.P., and Sterling. It was everyone during their time in Fortuna all standing in front of Concordia. The frame itself was shattered, but the photo inside was still intact though a bit roughed up.

"Wow!" Clair walked over and leaned in to get a better look at the photo. "I can't believe you found this."

"Silver, check this out," Zelts called him over. "What a blast from the past."

Violet smiled with warm thoughts of nostalgia. "It feels like such a long time ago."

"Yeah, but it wasn't," Silver said as he walked to her side.

"You're right. A lot of things have happened in such a short span of time," Clair commented. She looked to herself, Onyx, C.P., and to Sterling who was smiling behind her. It was heartwarming.

Violet looked to her teammates and then to the members of Team CLSH. Her grin was slowly fading away. _"Cerise, Loden, Sapphire, Hazel… it really does feel like a long time ago,"_

"Do you guys think there's a way to go back to the way things were?" Violet asked. She spoke to no directly, wanting an answer from anyone who could provide one.

"I don't know," Remus answered, "It'll probably take a long time to rebuild Fortuna."

His response was met with silence from the others. How can he be that dense? This question was shared by more than one of them. The smallest laugh was heard followed by chuckling. She couldn't contain herself. "No! Ahahaha! Not like that…ahaha!"

Violet found his answer amusing and a great way to eliminate all the worry she had. This was why she liked Remus. He was very positive almost all the time even when he was oblivious. He brightened her life.

"Things can't go back to the way things were, no matter how much we want them to," Clair spoke up, still looking at Sterling in the photo. "However, we can do our best in the here and now to hold on to what we have."

Taking her words to heart, Violet turned to the photo once more, looking at Team CLSH a second time. She didn't know how, but she was going to find a way to mend their relationship. Violet couldn't change the past, but the future was a different story.

 _"We can make it better. No going back,"_

The photo was put in a brand new frame and placed in the living room so everyone can see it every day. In the span of two hours, the rest of their friends gathered in their home. For the first time in a long time, everyone was able to come together and feast on the food Silver prepared. It was a merry time of camaraderie that was enjoyed by all in attendance which was good because the events to come would alter all their lives.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Ebony was in the common area alone, sitting at the chess table and rearranging the pieces. After her fun game against Zinnia, she was getting the board prepared for the person she was waiting for. She was fully recovered from her incident with the Grimm. Her body no longer felt frail as strength finally returned. The Charming Vantablack was back. However, she was a little frustrated. She searched through Carabosse's papers but didn't find anything specific about the power she displayed in her previous battle.

"Ebony."

Her name was called and she looked to the passage leading to the hallway. Zinnia entered the common area then walked to Ebony. Her face was its usual stern demeanor and her golden eyes laid upon the chessboard. _"Was she preparing for another game?"_

"Is it time?" Ebony asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes, the airship is fully repaired. We can leave for the kingdom whenever you wish," Zinnia briefed her and she could see a grin on Ebony's face.

"Professor Theodore is waiting for us. Tell Brenton to get the engine going as soon as possible," she requested and Zinnia left to do just that. Ebony was alone in the room again, looking at the chessboard before turning to the sky. Her new plan was in motion.

"No going back."

* * *

 **Ebony is the descendant of two lines; the Vantablacks and the Silver-Eyed Warriors. I don't know if the S.E.W.s are one big family or several groups of people, but Ebony is a very distant relative of Ruby Rose.**


	39. The Coming Storm

**A/N: I don't own any of the characters associated with the RWBY series. All rights belong to Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

 **Setting: Professor Theodore's Office**

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Ebony asked, sitting in a chair facing Professor Theodore who was sitting behind his desk.

"Yes. I will accept the terms of our agreement if you allow us to do this first. Should it fail, I'll leave them in your hands," the older man answered with quiet certainty.

The headmaster of Shade Academy remained silent as Ebony looked at him. It was a sign the man was adamant about this condition and she couldn't complain. It meant she would have to wait a little longer, but Ebony was a patient person.

"Then we have a covenant," Ebony confirmed with a grin. "I will wait to hear from you next time." She rose from her seat and approached Professor Theodore's desk. Extending her hand to him, the two shook hands to solidify and conclude their meeting. Ebony walked out of the headmaster's office.

"How did it go?" Ebony glanced to her left to see Zinnia waiting for her at the door.

"As I expected, though we'll have to wait a bit longer. Nothing new," Ebony said with a casual shrug.

"At least he listened to what you had to say the last time you guys spoke to each other," Zinnia said.

Stretching her arms over her head and letting out a big sigh, Ebony felt relaxed the meeting was over. She found Professor Theodore's office to be rather stuffy. All the walls were lined with bookcases full of books. It made the room seem so cramped and she didn't like it.

"True, but with this condition, it seems like he's truly not listening to me at all," Ebony responded.

"You'd be surprised what I listen to!" Professor Theodore shouted from the other side of the closed door. It was clear his door was thin and he was aware of it.

"Uh, let's go," a surprised told a fellow surprised Zinnia. The both of them walked away from the door. "Have a good day, Professor Theodore!" she shouted.

"You too!" the professor shouted delightfully.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

"So, we wait for another call?" Brenton asked once the other two debriefed him about the meeting. "Anyone else feels like we're back to square?"

"In a manner of speaking… yes, but we have to respect the kingdom's wishes for now. That's part of playing by the rules. Boring, but effective, at times," Ebony told him.

"Your desire to revolutionize the kingdom is taking forever," Brenton complained openly much to Zinnia's annoyance.

"Change doesn't happen overnight. And we'll use this time to fulfill our other objective," she told him.

 _"Right, right. Our need to have our names known to all in Vacuo,"_ Brenton thought to himself. He didn't understand why it was important, but he wasn't going to say that out loud. It was important to Ebony, though he figured reforming the kingdom should be the most important. If what Ebony said was true, then the kingdom needed change. Of all things, Brenton wanted to avoid the creation of another Royal.

"Don't worry. I have a feeling it won't be too long. Events are taking place all around us. The clouds are gathering and no one can stop it. The perfect storm is coming, now let's see if we can weather it." Ebony smiled when she thought about what was to come.

Something big was going to happen in Vacuo.

 **Setting: Nexus**

The food stands in the southern district of Nexus were busier than usual. More people were coming in and out of the settlement these days. It was thanks to the popularity of Evergreen's support and Team VRSZ's exploits. Nexus was becoming the crossroads Clair envisioned they'd be.

One of the more popular stands in the southern district was a food stand that sold frozen treats. It was optimal living in the desert. The stand was never short on customers. Even now, Silver, Ghost, and Bianca were standing near the stand, finally getting the food they purchased; a popsicle for silver and ice cream cones for the siblings.

"Is it me or does it feel like things are more cramped and complicated now?" Silver asked.

"Nexus has been growing tremendously, so we're going to see more people coming through which is a good thing," Bianca said before getting another lick of her ice cream. Strawberry flavored.

"I preferred it when it was a ghost town. I hate crowds," Ghost chimed in with his usual somber demeanor while loosely holding his chocolate ice cream cone.

"Not Nexus. I mean Vacuo as a whole. It feels like we can't really go anywhere without running into trouble," Silver told his friends with irritating concern. This has been on his mind for some time and he needed to tell people outside of VRSZ. They understood his plight, but he wanted the advice of those outside their circle.

"It's not surprising, to be honest. The kingdom is starting to take a more active role in governing Vacuo and helping those who need it," Ghost said.

"You mean those who are sanctioned with them," Bianca corrected and her tone proved she was fond of the kingdom or their selective good deeds. "It's great for anyone affiliated with them, but don't expect anything if you're not."

"And it's no secret the kingdom and Nexus don't like each other. We do a lot of stuff without their consent," Ghost stated before taking two more licks.

"Or just to spite them," Silver adding jokingly. He bit into the tip of his popsicle then held onto the popsicle stick with his teeth. "VRSZ and the kingdom are simpatico either. Actually, they probably hate Nexus because of us."

"You're probably right. It's all your fault," Ghost stated plainly.

"Ghost!" Bianca called out to her brother.

"What? I was joking," he countered, but his tone said otherwise.

"He does make a lot of sense. The kingdom has made it clear they want us out of the way. What to do? What to do?" Silver wondered as he looked upward. He didn't know what was going to happen next. The kingdom was all over the place, confining them to their home. It was suffocating. _"How are we going to deal with this?"_

 **Setting: Clair's Office**

"I knew it. I knew this would happen. As soon as I let Zelts use it-"

"Would you stop that. I only need to use it once," Violet told Clair. In her hand was her scroll with the CCD attached to it.

Clair flashed her a small smile. "I was only teasing. I'll be on the main floor once when you're done." She walked out of her office to give Violet some private time.

She found the CCD to be an incredibly useful device, thankfully it's not something she would use often. There weren't many people outside of Nexus she could talk to. Even so, there was barely a handful within that group she wanted to talk to, but she felt she was obligated to call this particular person. Violet activated the device and pressed the contact in her scroll.

"Hello?" a familiar voice answered.

"Hey, Dr. Lupa. It's Violet," she said as nicely as she could. Violet didn't want to scare the former scientist.

"Violet? Is that you? How are you able to… are you and Remus in Vale right now?" she asked.

"It's not important and he doesn't know I'm calling you. There's something you deserve to know and I thought it was best if I tell you."

"Did something happen?' she asked concerned.

"Nothing like that. Actually, it's about me and Remus," Violet took in a quick breath. "We're together and I felt like it was best to let you know." Violet waited for the doctor to pelt her with questions just like the others, but Dr. Lupa was silent on the other side. "Uh, Dr. Lupa?"

"I'm sorry. It's just, haven't you two already a couple?' she asked, surprising Violet. "Based on how you two acted around each other the last time we met, I assumed you two were…"

Dr. Lupa continued on and Violet tuned her voice out for a minute. She felt like she needed to reevaluate how she and Remus interacted with each other in the past. Their relationship was clearly noted by some. Not only Dr. Lupa but Azura and Bianca didn't seem that surprised by the news like the others.

"And I am no longer a scientist, so you can drop the doctor. I'm a professor now," Professor Lupa said which was the only thing Violet caught after snapping back to reality.

"Okay, Professor Lupa. I just wanted to keep you informed…" Violet got out what she wanted to say, but was falling short on what to say next. It felt rude to end the conversation like that, but there was nothing else she could think of saying to her. "So… how have you been?"

"Good. Working as a professor keeps me busy. There's never a dull moment with my students. Speaking of students, how is my favorite one doing?"

Remus has been doing great. He's been better since the last time you saw him. I'll let him know you asked about him," Violet told her.

"That's a relief. Have you seen any change in his combat abilities?"

"He's just as strong as ever. Your training really paid off," Violet complimented.

"As strong as ever? Hmm. That's a relief. He hasn't done it yet," Prof. Lupa sighed, but what she said piqued Violet's interest.

"What do you mean he hasn't done it yet?"

"As you know, I trained Remus to make him capable of pushing past the limits of any person, any Huntsmen. During his time with me before returning to Fortuna, he was able to reach his limit and surpass it, but he isn't at the point he should be."

"What are you trying to say?" Violet was perplexed about this information and a little intrigued.

"Remus is capable, but… I think the best way to say it is that he has yet to fully awaken what he can do. At the same time, I don't know if I want him to. I'm afraid if he achieves this, he'll become the Delta I originally wanted him to be and I don't want that."

"…" Violet remained silent as she listened to Prof. Lupa's voice crack and changed to concern. She was afraid of Remus reverting back to his old self before he met VRSZ. Violet understood how she felt. She doesn't want Remus to ever go back to the way he was when she first met him.

"If he does find a way to awaken-"

"I'll make sure he stays the same. You have my word," Violet promised, purposely interrupting Lupa so she wouldn't have to fret.

"…Thank you, Violet. I'm entrusting him to you. Please, keep him safe," Lupa pleaded, not caring how unbecoming it sounded.

"I will," Violet told her.

 **Setting: Nexus Council Building**

Clair sat idly on the main floor of the council building watching the people come and go. It has been around five minutes since she left Violet in her office. The Lady of Nexus sat in a chair in the waiting area and spent her brief time looking at random people, making up stories for why the were here. Her eyes moved from one person to the next until they landed on someone she recognized.

"Hey, Clair!" Remus said happily as he dashed to her.

She grinned to herself deviously, knowing exactly why he was here and found it adorable. "Hello, Remus. Waiting for Violet, sweetie?" she asked teasingly, waiting to see a reaction.

"Yeah, I wanted to see if she wanted to do anything. Just the two of us. You think she'll like that?" he asked with a big smile he couldn't get rid of.

Clair looked at him amused. _"So cute! He's like a puppy. That smile is so big! Hurry up, Violet. He's waiting for you,"_

"Listen, Remus. The next time Evergreen comes to visit, I want all of us to go out on a double date. Would you like that?" she asked even though she knew his answer.

"Sure. That'll be great. Violet will like that too," he answered.

 _"She won't, but she can't say no now,"_ she thought to herself.

"Violet!" Remus shouted with glee as his girlfriend walked toward the duo.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a smile.

"I wanted to spend the day with you," he answered honestly. She found his answer rather cheesy but it was the truth which she liked the most.

"We can do that. I just finished up. Let's go. Thanks, Clair, I'll see you at home," Violet said to her friend before walking away with Remus.

Clair watched the couple leave and sighed with her cheeks blushing a little. "I got to call Ever."

Violet glanced at Remus who was smiling and beside himself. She thought back to her conversation with Prof. Lupa and her fear of Remus reverting to what he was if he truly pushed past his limit. She kept her gaze fixed on him. He was so expressive and lively, speaking about whatever was on his mind. Compared to how he was when she first met him, she couldn't believe they were the same person.

 _"I don't want him to back to that either,"_

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

The anointed time was coming. Zelts was the only one in the building and he was packing a few of his belongings. He was getting ready to go to Lily in Patch. He had more time with the others but that time was limited. Zelts lifted boxes and items with a mixture of happiness and sorrow. On one hand, he'll finally be with Lily, but on the other, he'd be leaving his best friends. He made his decision long ago, but it didn't make the task any less difficult.

As Zelts was collecting more of his personal items and placing them in boxes, he heard the doorbell ring. "We have a doorbell?" he asked aloud. He walked to the front door and opened it, seeing a member of the Nexus council at his door.

"Hel-"

"Hey, Zelts. It's Percy. How are you doing?" Percy answered, speaking so quickly Zelts hardly got a word of what he said.

The representative of Oasis walked right by Zelts, letting himself into the team's home. His action alerted Zelts, but he didn't think of him as a threat. As a businessman, Percy preferred doing things his way and he liked things done quickly so he could relax.

"I have a request for VRSZ that needs to be done as soon as possible," Percy said as he took a seat on the couch.

"Uh, okay," Zelts accepted though he was confused with the man's approach. "What do you need us to do?"

"It's not really my request. The contractor is Solis, but he won't be able to hire you guys."

"Huh?" If Solis was the one trying to hire them, why wouldn't he ask us instead? The question popped up in Zelts's head. "He had a thing for Violet. Is he trying to avoid her now that she's dating Remus?" he thought trying to think of a reason for his absence.

"I don't know if you noticed since you guys aren't really in our social circle, but Solis hasn't been to Nexus for several days. Nova has been needing his attention for some time," Percy explained, but Zelts questioned it.

"Doesn't seem like a problem. Sounds like he's just busy."

"You didn't let me finish. At first, it seemed like regular work, but that work escalated into something rather… serious. The kingdom has occupied Nova. They are trying to sanction the settlement so they could house more refugees now that the kingdom is overpopulated."

Zelts was surprised by this information. The kingdom was getting more aggressive with establishing control in Vacuo. It was expected. It wasn't a secret that out of all the kingdoms, Vacuo was the most chaotic and lawless. The kingdom, or rather Shade Academy, was trying to pull the reins on their land. It was understandable, but their methods were clearly getting more aggressive and they were stepping into Nexus's territory. Clair was not going stand for that.

"It's obvious this is a disguised power play. The kingdom's clearly doing this to attack one of Nexus's allies and prove their dominance. I can't say I didn't see this coming after we openly supported an unsanctioned settlement that's been growing in popularity. Solis is assisting his brother, the monarch of Nova, with stalling the kingdom's so-called diplomacy, but things will continue to escalate in a bad way," Percy finished speaking and looked at Zelts who was slightly stunned but took everything in.

"We'll need to let the rest of my team know what's going on," Zelts said as he grabbed his scroll and texted everyone. He looked to Percy as he did this. "You told us the situation, but what does Solis want us to do about the kingdom?"

"Get them out of his home, by any means necessary." Those were the words Percy delivered to VRSZ.

 **Setting: Nova**

The situation in Nova was anxious. The air was thick with tension. The settlement was known for housing a massive fire crystal was populated with several students from Shade Academy stationed around the area. All of them were on assignment to protect this place from outside threats while talks between Nova's monarch and a kingdom envoy took place.

One team, in particular, took a position away from their fellow classmates. They occupied a roof on one of Nova's taller buildings. This group of four didn't really look like they were doing the job assigned to them. The biggest one wore green armor and had a large sword strapped to his back. He was sitting on the roof and appeared to be meditating. His closed eyes and stern face displayed how deep his concentration was. Beside him was a young boy with dark skin and dark, messy copper hair. He wore an orange sleeveless vest, black jeans, and was equipped with orange bladed gauntlets. Several scars decorated his body but the most prominent trait he possessed was his pure white eyes. The young man was blind.

Standing on the edge of the roof were two young girls looking over the settlement. Well, one was looking at the settlement while the other was taking photos. The one taking photos was clearly a faunus. She had brown rabbit ears on top of her long brown hair. Her eyes matched her hair. She wore a brown jacket over a black undershirt and brown shorts with black leggings.

"I haven't been to this place before. It's nice. The crystal is so warm! Right, Coco?" she said in a bubbly tone to her friend.

"We're in the desert. Isn't already warm enough?" the other girl said in response.

Coco had short dark-brown hair with a few of her strands appeared dyed on one side of her face changing from brown to caramel. The color of her eyes couldn't be seen behind the dark shades she wore. Her clothing was the most fashionable out of the four of them. She had a light brown shirt with a black waist cincher and black trousers. Around her neck was a black scarf and multiple necklaces and atop her head a was a black beret. She had black gloves, dark brown high-heeled boots, and a belt consisting solely of bullets. Strapped around her shoulder was an oversized handbag and the strap was just like her belt, covered in bullets.

"This place is so boring. There are hardly any good clothing shops here. Nothing else is really going on here either. Why do people even live here?" Coco wondered aloud.

"It's a safe place with very few incidents," the blind boy said. "It's a good place for refugees."

"Exactly, Fox!" the rabbit faunus beamed.

"But we all know the reason for that. This place is known to be in cahoots with Nexus and that's the place where this VRSZ team lives," Coco addressed.

"Hm, I wonder what kind of people they are?" the rabbit faunus asked with a curious look. She also thought about getting a picture of them for future reference.

"People who defy the kingdom aren't the best of people, Velvet," the man meditating finally spoke.

"They usually aren't," Fox added.

"I hope they show up," Coco interjected. "They'd bring some excitement to the job. It's why Prof. Theodore asked us to come here, anyway. We wouldn't want to disappoint him, right Yatsuhashi, Fox, Velvet?"

Fox nodded, Yatsuhashi returned to meditating, and Velvet wasn't as enthusiastic as her friend to look for a fight.

"Let's see what Team VRSZ can do," Coco said with cool confidence.


	40. VRSZ Team CFVY

**A/N: I don't own any of the characters associated with the RWBY series. All rights belong to Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

 **Setting: Nova**

Nine academy teams were patrolling around Solis's home. The roads of Nova were almost vacant. None of the residents wanted to walk through their hometown so they stayed indoors, feeling slightly oppressed by the kingdom. Even if the students told them there was nothing to worry about, the sudden presence of the kingdom meant something was or going to transpire.

Remaining vigilant over the settlement from a rooftop, Team CVFY looked out for Team VRSZ. It was a personal mission assigned to them by Prof. Theodore who wanted to get the drop on the team that has been stirring up trouble for the past few weeks.

Coco had no idea if the other students were even aware of her team's assignment or not. All of them could be here simply as bodyguards for the envoy sent to speak to Nova's monarch. If her fellow classmates were given the same information, then they knew they were supposed to look out for something VRSZ might do.

 **Several Minutes Ago**

 **Setting: Clair's Office**

Team VRSZ and the Enforcers were inside Clair's office with Clair sitting in her seat, elbows on the table as her hands were held together. She looked at both groups with a serious expression. The most serious one she has ever given. The air was tense without anyone saying a word.

Bianca had to assemble the others to have this meeting on Clair's behalf, so she knew how upset Clair was about the situation.

"The kingdom has set foot onto Nova, an allied settlement of our home. It's a clear provocation against Nexus." Her words lacked the levity or sweetness they usually carried. It was clear to everyone this matter was urgent. "I'm sure Solis has made his request known to you, but we have to act cautiously."

"The kingdom entered Nova for two specific reasons. The first is plain as day; take away an ally of our rogue town. And the second is to confirm how we'll react, specifically, will Team VRSZ be sent on Nexus's behalf," Bianca continued.

"I guess it the latter were true, it wouldn't look good for Nexus," Ghost answered as he crossed his arms.

"If we go to Nova and expel the kingdom on Nexus's behalf, then the kingdom will see both parties as a unified front and view all past aggressions by VRSZ as acts done by Nexus, giving the kingdom the right to demand our surrender or attack us whenever they wish and no one will say it was unprovoked," Violet explained to herself while everyone listened.

"It's a very smart play by the kingdom. Underhanded. I like it," Silver said with an impressed grin.

"Does that mean we shouldn't go to Nova and help Solis? Are we supposed to ignore the kingdom?" Remus asked.

"If you think I'm letting the kingdom walk in like they own the place, you're wrong. They want VRSZ to come, we'll give them VRSZ, just not the way they expect him to." The look on Clair's face changed from serious to mischievous. She had a plan and a grand one by the look on her face. Violet, Silver, Ghost, and Azura had their own fiendish smirks. These four enjoyed messing with the kingdom of Vacuo.

"This is what I want all of you to do," Clair began.

 **Setting: Nova**

Velvet took pictures of the landscape surrounding the settlement. Coco watched her and had no idea why her teammate took photos of nothing but sand. Velvet told her every place was different and beautiful if you looked hard enough. Coco didn't debate her because there was no reason to and she found Velvet's enthusiasm adorable. There was no need for her to stop it.

She had a good shot of the open blue sky on her camera until she found something flying through it. It was something large, too large to be a bird and it had massive wings. Whatever it was, it was too far away for her to see. Suddenly, the flying thing went out of the view of her camera.

"What was that?! Where did it go?!" Velvet asked as she looked around with her camera.

"What was what?" Coco asked.

"There something flying in the sky! Do you see it?"

Coco and Yatsuhashi looked around while Fox remained where he was. He knew he wouldn't be much help searching for something in the air, but maybe he could help the others pinpoint its location.

"Ada, scan the area for sonar pulses," Fox ordered his earpiece.

"Scanning," the voice responded with a female voice and the device did as commanded.

Fox listened to everything going on in Nova. He heard his fellow classmates chatting, the sound of citizens walking around inside their homes, and more importantly, the sound of wings beating. "Whatever it is, it's getting close."

With his warning, the rest of Team CFVY armed themselves and waited.

Diving from the sky was a black being that landed in the heart of Nova. Its presence alerted the other academy students and they all saw what stood before them; a human-like figure with large bat wings, but it was wrapped head to toe in black robes with black wrapping around its head. The being's eyes could hardly be discerned.

"What the hell is that?" Coco asked.

"Some king of Grimm?" Yatsuhashi guessed but he wasn't sure.

"Looks ghastly enough," Fox added lightheartedly.

Velvet grabbed her camera and aimed it at the unknown figure. She snapped a picture, but the subject was gone she could capture it. "Where did it-"

"AH!"

In a flash, the winged creature flew to one of the students and struck them with a fist, followed by a punch to his teammate beside him and kicked a third in her temple. Knocking all of them to the ground, the figure didn't continue its assault on them. Instead, it flew to the next group of four that was coming toward it. One student had a rifle-type weapon and fired several shots at the enemy, but each shot was dodged by the figure as it made its way to the shooter and smacked her away with its large wing before dealing with the rest in a few swift movements. This thing was fast, strong, and frightening. However, none of the students received fatal wounds. It had already taken down two teams of academy-trained students.

Fox sighed in disappointment. "Bunch of rookies. Leave it to first-year students to make us all look like amateurs."

"What is that thing? I don't think I've seen a Grimm like that," Yatsuhashi said in bewilderment as he watched the battle below.

"So, want to step in?" Coco asked with vigor. She was tired of this drab mission.

Her team responded by grabbing their weapons. Coco was glad to see her friends were ready for combat. "Time to show these newcomers how-"

Gunfire went off nearby and the robed figure dove from the sky to the ground, slamming into the sandy floor. It faced the direction the bullet came from. A new four-person team was approaching. Team CFVY recognized them, but not from the academy.

"Finally! It took us a long time to follow you here!"

With a gun aimed at the winged enemy, Silver stood with his teammates. Team VRSZ was finally in Nova with Team CFVY and several other academy students looking at them.

"I thought I lost you losers," the robed figure said in a deep, gruff, male voice. The fact he could talk meant he was human or at least not a Grimm.

"It'll take more than that to ditch us. Don't you know who we are? We're the best of-" Silver spat back, but the winged figure swiftly took to the sky and flew away. Silver stood there dumbfounded while his teammates looked at him with annoyance.

"You idiot," Zelts called the gunslinger.

"This is what happens when you start monologuing, moron," Violet added on the insults.

Silver's eyes twitched as they continued to ridicule him. Remus watched the gunslinger get verbally berated before looking around at the students surrounding them. "Um, guys."

Coco and her team watched from above as several of their classmates circled the group wanted by the kingdom. All of them were ordered to capture them so they could face trial by the council, though Team CFVY was also tasked with reporting the enemy's actions. However, it was obvious to gauge that VRSZ was here in pursuit of an adversary, not on behalf of Nexus. She and her team couldn't tell Prof. Theodore that Nexus sent them.

A team of two guys and two girls surrounded VRSZ, the team they were assigned to apprehend. Zelts sighed quietly because he knew a fight was going to take place and it wasn't going to be a short one. Remus already had Delta in his hand, holding his sword in a reverse grip so he could move swiftly. Silver already had his guns out and Violet just scanned the area, looking for other enemies coming their way.

"Shall we?" Fox asked his teammates.

Hold on! Not yet," Velvet answered. "I want to see what they can do before we engaged them. It'd be better to get their moves and weapons on film, right?"

"It would be wise for us to be prepared for battle," Yatsuhashi said, supporting Velvet's plan. It was better to know what the enemy could do. Despite being a famous name, Team VRSZ's abilities were a complete unknown to almost everyone.

"All right, everyone. Sit back and learn," Coco told her teammates though she preferred to go in before the other students had their turn. She didn't want her fun to end prematurely. "If things get out of hand, we step in."

The first-year team surrounding VRSZ moved in to subdue them. Three stepped forward and one remained where she was and aimed her rifle at Violet who was unfazed. With the enemy moving in to fight, VRSZ made their move when the sound of a gunshot went off. The girl with the rifle fired and her Violet didn't move. The bullet came her way but was blocked by Zelts holding one of his wingblades in front of her. The girl clicked her teeth when her preemptive strike failed but her fortune turned from bad to worse when she noticed her surroundings.

She wasn't the one who struck first.

The moment she fired the bullet, Remus dashed toward her teammates and slashed them all quickly with Delta, knocking the wind out of all of them as they fell to the ground. The girl saw her comrades fall before feeling a solid blow to the back of her head. Remus was behind her with his right leg finishing the kick to knock her down.

 _"How fast is this guy?"_ Coco wondered to herself as she watched the battle unfold. She admitted to herself that keeping track of Remus was pretty difficult. Even Velvet and Yatsuhasi had the same stunned look. Only Fox's face was unchanged.

Violet quickly pulled out Enigmas and threw them at each downed student. When they made contact, the knives began to create stone that covered their bodies, encasing them in rock and preventing them from continuing the battle. Each of them struggled, but could not move from their earthly prison. Silver approached them and smirked.

He was going to taunt them, but his plan was cut short when a spiked ball was hurled his way. As a reflex, Silver fired a shot at it, hitting the weapon with a bullet filled with fire dust, and the ball exploded with all the spikes shooting out from every direction. The gunslinger used Gravity to leap as far back as he could to avoid a majority of the spikes but a few were still coming his way. He fired shots from both guns, deflecting the spikes that came his way. Silver remained in the air, levitating with Gravity keeping him afloat.

Seeing a person fly or anything close to it was a sight to behold. The students who ambushed Silver were slightly amazed by his abilities, but it didn't stop him from aiming for them and firing ice bullets that froze over their legs and arms to prevent them from moving.

Watching the members of Team VRSZ fight was worth doing in Coco's opinion. She deemed them to be very strong, but not so strong her team couldn't hold their own. She glanced over at Velvet who finished taking pictures of the enemy and their weapons. They were ready to begin the counterattack and if they planned it right, they could deliver a sneak attack-

"I'm tired of other people getting the jump on us," a female voice said from the rooftop, but no one on Team CFVY recognized it. They looked around but saw no one else.

All of a sudden, Velvet felt her chest get hit by something solid but didn't see a thing. She was pushed off the roof and landed in the sand below much to the shock of her friends. Fox was more surprised than the rest. His Ada didn't sense anything until they heard a voice. Coco grabbed her bag and it shifted and transformed into a massive gatling gun. Violet, still using Invisibility, moved in to strike her, but felt the presence of someone behind her. Fox had his bladed gauntlets and brought his arms down to slash her backside. Even though he snuck up on her quickly, Violet was able to counter a majority of the blow by grabbing one of her kukris and raising it up to block the hit. She stooped Fox's left arm, but the blade on the right arm still struck her, taking a bit of her aura, but she was still standing and kept her semblance active so the others couldn't see her. She refused to give the enemy to continue attacking her, so she brought out her second Kukris and began fighting back.

Violet and Fox were locked in combat. Her knives clashed with his blades as they moved around the rooftop. Fox's Ada helped him keep track of Violet despite her semblance and keep pace with her combat ability. The battle between them was intense, but to Coco and Yatsuhashi, they just saw Fox fighting air while sparks flew around him.

 _"The enemy is invisible!"_ Fox told his teammates through his semblance, informing his friends through Telepathy.

With this new information, Coco and Yatsuhashi were prepared to fight. Coco jumped off the roof and landed on the ground below with a powerful thud, landing by Velvet, and aiming her gatling gun at Silver and Zelts.

"Uh oh. Zelts, if you would," Silver acted in a panicky fashion. He was not a fan of fighting people with bigger guns than him.

Zelts stood in front of Silver with Heart of Gold as a shield and Coco didn't waste time firing on them with an endless barrage of bullets. They came in contact with Zelts shield and each was deflected or ricocheted off the shield, but Zelts could feel the pelting from the other side of his weapon. Silver jumped onto Zelts's shoulder and leaped above him and Coco. With no way to defend herself in the middle of her assault, he seized the moment and fired at her. His move would've succeeded if it weren't for a shield forming over Coco, protecting her from Silver's bullets.

The shield that came to her aid wasn't just any random shield, it was an exact copy of Heart of Gold or a construct of it. The copy was being held by Velvet who kept her friend safe. "Take the silver-haired one. I'll hold this one down," Coco told Velvet.

The shield construct Velvet created disappeared and she created a copy of Fenrir, wielding both guns in her hands and aiming them at Silver while he was still in the air. She fired and so did Silver, shooting the same number of bullets and each one clashing with the other.

 _"How the hell did she do that?"_ Silver wondered. He doubted Velvet was a good a marksman as him yet she copied his style along with his weapon. He glided to the side of a building and ran to the town's famous dust crystal with Velvet in tow. The gunslinger turned around a few times to shoot her but she matched him shot for shot as each bullet deflected one another. While Silver turned away, Velvet changed strategy, switching out Fenrir for several flying swords.

Coco kept up the pressure but knew she wasn't doing much to Zelts, so she activated her semblance. Her Hype amplified her attacks, making each bullet stronger than the last. Zelts began to feel the difference. He buckled down to the hold his ground, but he had no grip with the sandy surface. He felt his body being pushed back as Coco's attack continued. She effectively had Zelts pinned down. He needed to find a gap in her attack.

Above them, Violet was engaged with Fox and Yatsuhashi, fighting the best she could against them. Fox's fighting prowess took most of her attention and Yatsuhashi was being more of a nuisance since he couldn't see her. He swung his large blade in the area Fox was fighting, not sure if he was hitting anything but helping in any way he could. His blade came down and Violet stepped to the side to avoid it. Fox used her evasion to strike but Ada picked up the presence of another person besides the three in combat. The fourth person appeared on the device in an instant and it was too late for him to dodge.

An open palm slammed into Fox's face as Remus entered the fray, using Checkpoint to teleport into the battle to assist Violet. He knocked Fox off balance then turned to Yatsuhashi who could clearly see his opponent. He moved in to fight but felt his chin and jaw get hit, forcing him to reel back a few steps. Violet deactivated Invisibility as tulip petals appeared along with her body. Her leg was in the air, showing she kicked Yatsuhashi before becoming visible. She looked to Remus who looked back with confidence.

The short time it took Fox and Yatsuhashi to recover gave Violet the time to deliver an order to Remus. She gave him two quick hand signs and he knew what they meant: Divide and Overwhelm.

Violet threw an Enigma at Yatsuhashi's feet and it exploded in front of him in a fiery blast. He was blown off the roof and away from Fox who Remus pursued. The Ada informed Fox of Remus's movements and he acted accordingly. Remus swung down with Delta, but Fox parried his blow with both his blades. Seeing how his attack was blocked, Remus continued to fight while Fox was able to match his speedy attacks thanks to Ada giving him battle information.

At first, Silver was leading Velvet, but now she was chasing him down. She threw flying swords at him as he jumped, ran, and glided away from each of them until he reached the large fire dust crystal. One sword narrowly hit him and he landed near the ground, rolling to the crystal while another blade came his way. Silver ducked and the sword made of light pierced the crystal behind him.

"Shit," Silver cursed under his breath before getting up. He rolled while firing three shots at Velvet. She used the swords to deflect two of them, but the third hit her in the thigh.

Changing tactics, Velvet took away the swords and quickly ran toward Silver who fired a volley of bullets at her. She created Heart of Gold again and charged for him. The light construct didn't have the same weight as the original so holding it wasn't a problem for her. She advanced to his position and changed weapons again.

This time, she wore a pair of gauntlets and for some reason, Silver had this terrible chill down his spine. _"Those look familiar,"_ he thought with an uneasiness welling up inside.

Velvet dashed toward Silver with her fist reeled back. Once she was close enough, she delivered a punch with the gauntlet, but Silver grabbed the crystal behind him and did a backflip to avoid her blow, landing on top of the crystal. The shotgun gauntlet hit the fire dust crystal and cracked it badly. Velvet had to hold back unless she destroyed a part of the town, but the crack in the crystal was deep. Silver already knew he didn't want to get hit by that those. He felt like back memories would starting flooding back. Velvet fired a concussive shot from the gauntlet on her right hand at Silver and he kicked himself off the crystal to avoid it. He glided away from Velvet and got a good look at the battlefield from a bird's eye view.

He saw that Zelts was pinned down by the beret girl and Remus was fighting the one on the roof. Silver noticed Violet stood aside and looked Silver's way. She gave him a few hand gestures and he knew what she wanted from him. He flew toward Violet and Remus.

As Remus continued to fight Fox, his sword strikes were being parried and blocked no matter how fast he was going. Fox's Ada was helping him stay on par with Remus and he bided his time. Soon, his device would learn Remus's battle style and help with his counterattack. Remus used Checkpoint to teleport above Fox to attack, kicking him in the head, but Fox blocked the blow his gauntlet. Violet stepped in while he was occupied and did a sweeping kick to his legs, knocking him off the ground. Fox was so surprised he almost felt weightless for a brief moment. As quickly as she lifted him off his feet, Violet grabbed him by his shirt and threw him at Silver who was coming their way. Silver fired several shots at Fox hitting him with a quick volley of bullets before shifting Fenrir to escrima sticks and tackle Fox in the gut with his weapons. Fox fell to the ground with Remus in pursuit.

Violet jumped off the roof to see how Zelts was doing and noticed he lost his ground. There was nothing he could do to stop Coco's onslaught and Violet needed her teammate in the fight. VRSZ is ill-willed to fight without their knight. Coco continued her barrage as Zelts was beginning to lose his hold, but the bullets stopped coming, surprising both of them.

"The hell?" Coco said and looked at her weapon to see an Enigma sticking into her gatling gun, jamming the barrel. Her shock gave Zelts the time he needed to get on his feet.

Violet dashed from Coco to Velvet who was running to her comrades' side. She couldn't allow this team to work together. Disruption was the best option they had. As Violet ran toward velvet, the rabbit faunus changed to Cocos's weapon firing a seemingly endless barrage of light bullets at Violet who created a wall of stone in front of her using her earth Enigma. The stone barrier was holding up against the bullets, but it was beginning to crack and break apart. Not only that, but something else was coming Violet's way.

Yatsuhashi finally returned to the battle and he had his large sword ready to cut her down. His presence shocked Violet and she instinctively activated Invisibility as he brought his blade down. Velvet's barrage reduced the stone to rubble as Yatsuhashi brought his sword down with Violet nowhere in sight.

She was a few feet away from him and felt her aura go down a little. She was able to avoid the full force of his attack, but the sword's edge still grazed her. While Yatsuhashi was looking around for Violet, she kept her course to Velvet.

Zelts was free to move as Coco was getting the knife out of her gun. Silver was in combat with Fox while trying to keep his distance. He found it hard to avoid the enemy because of the enclosed town and the fact that Fox was able to anticipate everything he did was getting on his nerves. Fox pointed his gauntlets at Silver who was on the ground and unleashed a volley of bullets. Silver ran away as Fox kept the bullets on him chasing him around the area. Silver fired a quick shot when he had the chance, but Fox easily avoided it, moving his head away from the bullet with such ease, Silver wondered if he was psychic.

 _"Keep on your toes, guys,"_ Fox told his teammates with his Telepathy. "Velvet! She's coming your way. On your left!"

Velvet changed her weapon to a large scythe and moved to attack her left. She swung the huge weapon and clashed with Violet while she was still invisible. Violet was able to block the blade with both her kukris but had no idea how she was spotted. The failure of her sneak attack meant there was no reason to keep up Invisibility. Violet was in full view to show Fox was correct.

 _"Yats, take this guy off my hands,"_ Fox said as he ceased his shooting. He ran to where the middle of the road. Yatsuhashi did as his friend said and moved to fight Silver who was relieved Fox left him alone, but upset to see another combatant come his way.

"Coco, something's wrong. Where are the other students? They should've been here by now," he complained. Coco brought her hand to her earpiece to contact the other students but none of them responded. Suddenly, she felt something hit her entire body and she was knocked to the ground.

Fox saw what was coming thanks to his Ada and rose his arms to defend himself. Remus came running into the scene, tackling Coco over and colliding with Fox who held his own against his blitz. They began round two as blades flew between the two of them. Remus was still in awe that Fox could keep up with him. It made the fight more intense as his blood began to boil a little.

Zelts noticed Yatsuhashi trying to down Silver so he split Heart of Gold to wingblades and created a gust of wind to get the man off balance. It was effective as Yatsuhashi stumbled a bit on his way to strike Silver, He turned to see Zelts coming his way and he brought his blade up. Silver jumped away as Zelts ran toward Yatsuhashi and vice versa. Neither could ignore the other. A large sword collided with two wingblades. Both warriors bared down on each other.

"Finally I catch a break," Silver said out loud, but noticed Coco had her massive gun aimed at him with a sadistic smile on her face. "Son of a bitch."

She fired and he jumped in the air to avoid it. He ran along the side of the building using Gravity as her hailstorm of bullets followed in pursuit, leaving bullet holes in the side of the buildings.

The citizens inside were too frightened to leave their homes. The best thing any of them could do was to hold themselves up in whatever basement, closet, or panic room they had until the battle blew over. They weren't the only ones disturbed by this street fight. In Nova's mayor building, Solis, his brother, and the envoy of the kingdom were too distracted by the battle to talk about anything. After a while, neither side could take anymore.

Silver jumped off a building while Coco was still firing and started his offense. He fired three shots at her but she stopped her attack to raise her massive gatling gun above her head, blocking his bullets. She smirked in triumph but felt something was off. Her weapon was getting too heavy for her arms. Silver's Gravity Bullets made Coco's weapon too heavy for her to hold, increasing the weapon's gravity three times over. Unable to wield it any longer, she dropped her gun on the ground. There's not much else she could do as Silver aimed his guns at her. He smiled cheekily at her and mouthed the word, _Bang_.

Zelts and Yatsuhashi were still locked in a test of strength. The same could be said for Remus and Fox, though Fox was starting to get the upper hand. His Ada was continually giving him information about Remus's fighting style and he was starting to land a few hits but so was Remus.

Violet was having a difficult time adapting to the menagerie of Velvet's fighting style. The rabbit faunus changed weapons and how she fought with them on the fly. It was hard for Violet to keep up. From a giant scythe to a massive hammer, a rapier, gauntlets, and even weapons from her own teammates. Velvet was relentless. Her weapon and semblance worked perfectly together. Soon she copied Violet's kukris and her fighting techniques. The mirror match between them began. Violet had to admit that Velvet was one of her tougher foes. It showed how talented academy students really were and how dangerous it would be to have them come after Nexus.

They were evenly matched in combat prowess. The more Violet fought her, the more Velvet learned her opponent's abilities and added them to her arsenal. It was like Violet was facing a one-person army. Even now, this mirror match showed Velvet fully copied Violet's style, becoming a complete replica, however, there was one thing she couldn't copy.

Velvet stepped into Violet's space to fight and saw her opponent throw an Enigma at the ground beneath her. The knife released a small vortex of wind that stirred up the sand around them. Velvet brought her arms up to protect her eyes as sand was scattered everywhere. She watched for Violet trying to make a move in this sand cloud and saw a shadow coming her way. With a kukri construct in her hand, Velvet slashed at the shadow which split in two. The sand the area cleared and revealed what Velvet cut wasn't Violet but her purple jacket. The faunus was shocked and felt herself get punched in the gut then a kick to her leg followed by another punch to her chest. She was struck from all sides as Violet unleashed a barrage of blows while invisible.

Velvet could copy a person's weapon and mimic their fighting style, but she couldn't copy a semblance. The sand began dissipating and Velvet felt her aura fall apart after an elbow to her abdomen. She was knocked to the ground while Violet reappeared in front of her. With her jacket gone, Violet's arms were exposed to the sun and the scars running along them were visible for all to see. She was a battle-hardened fighter. Despite her win, she was in no better shape than Velvet. She was breathing deeply to catch her breath and her body felt sore from all the earlier hits she received. Her own aura was reaching its limit due to the overuse of her semblance.

Real teams from the kingdom were strong.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" an authoritative voice shouted, capturing everyone's attention.

Team VRSZ and Team CFVY stopped fighting to see who was speaking and saw a man with Solis. No one on VRSZ knew who he was, but Team CFVY recognized him as one of Shade Academy's professors. Solis looked to the members of VRSZ. The point of this mission was to show Team VRSZ had no affiliation with Nexus. They couldn't address or even acknowledge Solis in front of them so the team was left to do one thing: flee.

All of them began to make their escape. Silver used Gravity to jump onto a building and leap away. Zelts just pushed Yatsuhahsi aside and ran for it. He used Heart of Gold to stir a small gale at his feet and used it to launch himself upward and away from the enemy. Remus used Checkpoint to teleport away. Violet looked at the scene before her, glancing at Velvet one last time, then used Invisibility to vanish in a flurry of tulip petals. Team VRSZ ran away.

"I'm sorry for the damage that group of ruffians caused. I'm sure this proves allying with the kingdom is your brother's best option," the envoy said, trying to convince Solis about their talk. Unfortunately for him, Solis was adamant about his stance.

"Sorry, but my brother made up his mind already and told me to tell you his answer: no. And to my eyes, it seems your students did as much damage as VRSZ. I can't entrust our home to people so reckless. We've survived this long without the kingdom, we'll be just fine," Solis told him, staying his ground.

The envoy only sighed in defeat and frustration. The mission was a failure. He only hoped the students had information about VRSZ's appearance, though another popped into his mind. Where were the other teams of students?

All around Nova, academy students laid down in defeat as the robed figure from earlier stood above them all.

"Is that all of them?" a female voice asked the robed figure. The person was also clad in all black with a mask covering the lower half of her face and the top of her head, leaving her reddish-brown eyes as her only feature. Beside her was another person clad in black but this person had green eyes.

"Yeah," the winged one said as he pulled the mask off. The winged figure was Blood. "It seems like the mission was a success. Let's return home." He pulled his mask back up.

 **Setting: Clair's Office**

"The mission went off as planned," Bianca told Clair who sat on the couch with a satisfied expression.

"Blood pretended to be a random rogue who was being pursued by Team VRSZ, giving them a viable reason to be in Nova," Ghost briefed. "Their arrival and conflict will alert the academy and the students would engage the threat they were tasked to eliminate. Team VRSZ will take the spotlight while Blood, Bianca, and myself subdue outside forces from interfering, effectively driving the kingdom's forces out of Nova without incident or revealing the connection between the team and Nexus."

"And a recent text from Solis proved the kingdom has left Nova," Clair said while waving her scroll for all to see the text. "Today was a good day."

"That depends on how the kingdom reacts. They've been getting more aggressive when it comes to us," Zelts said with an air of concern. "This could still be used as an excuse to come after us."

"You may be right, but if they do, the kingdom will be in the wrong. The citizens of Nova will vouch for you that you came here of your own agenda and that the kingdom did more harm than good. It won't sine a pretty light on them," Clair assured him. Her smile brightened the room and put Zelts at ease, somewhat.

"If anything, the kingdom will have their eyes set on us instead of Nexus. Can't say I'm too thrilled about that. And I can't shake the feeling a certain someone is behind most of this." Violet folded her arms in irritation. Her attire changed somewhat after losing her jacket. Violet now wears a dark purple, sleeveless shirt with black combat pants with her Enigma bag wrapped around the belt loops. Her toned, muscular arms were out for everyone to see, including all the scars decorating them, forgoing the deception of her strength and showing she's well-versed in combat.

Clair raised her eyebrow because she knew who Violet was talking about. Who did they all know who has been in league with the kingdom and shows up to further her own agenda?

"I'm inclined to agree," Clair said. "In fact, I don't think the kingdom itself is our enemy, not fully at least. They're more like a wall used to keep us at bay."

"What do we do about her?" Remus asked.

"Ebony's goal is to immortalize herself in Remnant's history so people will never forget her. She's going to any lengths to make that a reality, even putting Nexus to war with the kingdom. I don't know what she's thinking next, but we'll come up with something and go to any length to reach her." Clair looked to everyone in her office. "Remember, Ebony is our true adversary."

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

The kingdom's failure in Nova brought prof. Theodore to Ebony. She knew it would come to this. His plan to provoke VRSZ and Nexus was thwarted and his students returned with their tails between their legs. It didn't paint the best picture for the academy. As promised, he spoke with Ebony to discuss her method of dealing with VRSZ.

The Charming Vantablack only had one request to give the man what he wanted. The kingdom already possessed the resources needed to apprehend VRSZ. They just didn't realize it. All Ebony asked of Prof. Theodore was the cooperation of a certain team, a team capable of countering Team VRSZ.

It was late at night, but Ebony couldn't sleep. Her silver eyes shined in the dark as she looked to the future. Things were coming together just like before and she could barely contain her excitement.

The next morning, Ebony stood outside her airship where she and Monochrome waited for the arrival of her requested team. They came and she only smiled.

"It's great to meet you all again! Are you ready for our special mission?" Ebony asked as Team CLSH stood in front of her.

All four girls had a more serious face than usual, especially Cerise. She knew what this mission was and was committed to seeing it through to the end.

"Are you ready to take down VRSZ?"

* * *

 **Each time Velvet changed to Crescent Rose, Violet had the feeling she has seen it somewhere before. The same goes for Silver and Ember Celica. This harbors back to the RWBY X VRSZ special chapters, showing they do have some memory of their time with Team RWBY.**

 **Zelts has been using Clair's CCD frequently to talk to Lily whenever he has free time.**

 **With the CCT down, the global transmission has ended and video gamers can't play each other across Remnant anymore. The only thing they can do is play players nationally. This has become frustrating in Vacuo because Remus and Silver have been playing video games against other Vacuo players and dominating them as a tag-team duo. Remus has been doing so more than Silver whose in it only for prize money. Their infamy has spread to every gaming corner on Vacuo.** **Remus and Silver's online names are DeltaCobalt (D.C.) and SilverBullet respectively.**

 **Because of her androgenous appearance, Ebony is approached by many women and men who find her attractive. She denies many of them because she prefers to be the chaser instead of being sought.**


	41. Counterforce

**Setting: Ebony's Airship**

The tension within the soaring vehicle made things uncomfortable. It was felt by Zinnia and Brenton as soon as Team CLSH boarded the airship. Brooding silence was all most of them were expressing. Cerise, Loden, and Sapphire sat in the common area with stern faces. The only saving grace was Hazel who was gawking and fawning over Monochrome. The faunus girl was prancing around the large android with a gleeful smile on her face. Ebony stood nearby, unable to contain the pride swelling in her chest.

"This is amazing! How did you make it!?" Hazel asked not realizing how loud she was being. Ebony didn't care, but her teammates weren't in a jovial mood.

"I bought this beauty in the kingdom. Its name is Monochrome, a very versatile droid that can do almost anything I order it to. Monochrome is a bodyguard/friend/chef/… sorry, I'm rambling, but you see how incredible he is, right?" Ebony said, parading Monochrome around like a show pony. She began displaying the various weapons it had installed.

Zinnia was in the kitchen next to the common area and she was watching everything unfold. She knew Monochrome was a lifeless husk, but she felt bad that it was being presented in such a tacky fashion.

Inspecting Monochrome's weaponry was awe-inspiring for Hazel. A gallery of items sent a shiver down her spine, but at the same time, she felt a tinge of nostalgia.

 _"These designs… I've seen them somewhere before,"_ Hazel thought, wondering where she has seen these weapons. "Who did you buy this from, Ebony?"

"From a merchant in the kingdom, but I don't think he was the creator. He didn't seem like the inventive type," Ebony answered and it made Hazel wonder who was Monochrome's creator.

"I know I've seen these before…" Hazel said aloud as she got closer to the laser on Monochrome's hand.

"Hazel now's not the time," Loden called out to her friend. The mood transition from slight delight back to brooding gloom. They all knew what this special mission was about. The weight of their future actions, their commitment, and the consequences were on all of their minds.

Ebony sighed when the atmosphere returned to its original seriousness but knew things needed to be said. "As you know, this mission is of great importance to Prof. Theodore and to the academy as a whole. Apprehending Team VRSZ by any means necessary."

That was the mission for Team CLSH. They knew what it was before Ebony told them before they even boarded her airship, but it was never uttered. Now that all of the girls heard it, each one thought about how did everything lead to this mission.

"The kingdom could easily wipe Team VRSZ off the map through sheer military might, but a scene like that wouldn't shine the academy in the best light, will it? How pathetic would the kingdom be if it brought out an army to eliminate four people who were out of line? So, as the team with the most knowledge of VRSZ-"

"Don't waste our time with stuff we already know. What's the plan?" Sapphire barked in irritation. There was nothing about this mission that she liked. The past few days have been horrible for her and her teammates. Cerise was refusing to call Violet back and told the rest of her team to deny calls from VRSZ. Sapphire missed texting with Remus about stupid things and missed speaking with Ghost. She would draw suspicion if she was in contact with someone from Nexus. It was stressing her out to no end which was easy to assess.

"Sapphire, calm down," Cerise said with authority. She received a look from her friend and gave her a stern glare in kind. Quietly, Sapphire backed down, looking away from Ebony.

"We know how important this mission is and you don't have to worry about us hesitating. They made it clear the last time we met where we stand. You'll have no problem with us," Cerise assured Ebony who had a little respect for the young girl.

"Perfect. Now, let's talk strategy," Ebony said as she and Team CLSH began to formulate ideas to bring down their adversaries.

 **Setting: Nexus**

"WHAT THE HELL IS ALL OF THIS?!" Violet screamed from the top of her lungs. She and her team were having a normal day in their hometown when something very peculiar caught their eye. They all went outside to see what was going on and it was stranger than they thought.

People were walking through Nexus with items decorated with Team VRSZ. Mugs, shirts, and more with images of Violet, Remus, Silver, and Zelts either individually, together, or just the Team VRSZ logo.

"When did we have a logo?" Zelts wondered aloud.

"That's not the problem?" Violet answered, clearly irritated with this unknown predicament.

"I'll say. The real problem is someone's selling our good name when we didn't think of it first! Dammit!" Silver complained, but no one paid him any mind. "We could've been rolling in Lien!"

"Who's selling this stuff?" Zelts asked and his question was going to be answered thanks to Remus's initiative. The Blue Flicker walked up to two girls who were wearing shirts with Zelts on them.

"Excuse me, where did you get those shirts?" he asked curiously.

Both girls gasped when they saw Remus and looked up to see the rest of the team. "Oh my- It's all of you," one of the girls said, squealing in a high-pitch that upset the ears of those in the vicinity. It was grating to Remus since he was the closest to her, but he kept his aversion under wraps to get the answer to his question.

"You guys don't know? There's a new stand in the trading district selling VRSZ merchandise! Everyone's buying stuff there. You guys are famous!" the girl exclaimed.

"Who owns this stand?" Violet asked. She was ready to give the seller a piece of her mind.

 **Setting: Eastern District**

"Don't worry folks! I got more than enough merch for everyone! Keeping giving me your money, and I'll keep pumping out goods!" C.P. shouted from his stand of VRSZ merchandise. The Vantablack was even wearing a Violet shirt as he sold his wares, making more Lien with every purchase.

Every nook and cranny of his stand was decorated with his merchandise and people were crowding it with Lien already in their hands. The Aristocratic Vantablack smiled as he sold more and more items. _"This is going to last me for the rest of my-"_

"Ahem."

C.P. snapped out of daydreaming and looked over to see who was addressing him. He found himself staring at the eyes of an infuriated Violet with her retinue behind her. Her scowl told him the reason why she was mad and he felt sweat trickle down his back.

Remus went to the stand to check out all the items with their images on it and those based on their style. Silver went to C.P.'s pile of money, admiring how much he amassed so quickly. Zelts stood by Violet just in case she decided to throttle him, he'd step in before things got too violent.

"Explain," she said, making it sound like a threat. C.P. felt his heart race. He needed to find a way out of this without getting pummeled.

"Hear me out! I was trying to think of some ideas to make money and it hit me that you guys are the stars of Nexus. Why not sell your name?"

"It's not yours to sell," she growled and he instinctively took a step back.

"Yeah!" Silver shouted from the stand. "We want eighty percent of your profits!"

"Hell no! I had all this stuff made and sold each one! You get twenty percent!"

"Seventy!"

"Thirty!"

"Sixty-five!"

"Forty!"

"Forty-five and you give each of us a shirt. Final offer!" Silver bargained.

"Deal!" C.P. accepted.

 _"Sucker,"_ both Silver and C.P. thought.

Violet still didn't seem satisfied. It wasn't about the money for her. The idea of having her face plastered on items didn't sit well with her. She'd start being even more noticeable than ever. With so many eyes on her, she felt like activating Invisibility and never deactivating it.

"If it makes you feel better, your products have been selling more than the rest!" C.P. told Violet though it didn't make her feel better.

"How is Violet more popular than me?!" Silver wondered as he split the money. "I'm way better than her!"

"It's the truth, though a lot of women have been buying Zelts body pillows. Those are selling more like wildfire."

"Huh?" Zelts was confused about why people would want a body pillow of him, but Violet and Silver knew. He was really clueless in this department.

C.P. looked at his stand to see the line of people grow longer as well as Remus rummaging through the shirts. "You guys pick which ones you want. I got customers to see to."

Violet still wasn't thrilled with merchandise based on them, but getting Lien for something so popular wasn't a bad deal. The recognition from the citizens and travelers would take a long time to get used to. For now, Violet looked at what C.P. had to offer.

Team VRSZ left C.P.'s stand with their free gifts. Violet wore a shirt in the style of Remus, Remus wore a shirt with Zelts's symbol, Zelts had a shirt with Silver on it, and Silver had a Violet shirt. All four walked side by side with their amusing attire and matching expressions, though Violet was blushing with slight embarrassment, she was glad she could have this funny moment with their friends.

But nothing lasts forever no matter how much we want them to.

Violet heard the sound of her scroll going off. She got a message. She reached into her pocket and looked at the screen to see who was contacting her. Violet's eyes widen and she stopped in her tracks. Her boys took several steps forward before noticing Violet stopped in the middle of the street.

"What's up?" Silver asked her.

Violet's eyes were so big and seemed almost out of focus. She hardly acknowledged Silver as she lifted her head from her scroll. "Uh."

"Vi?" Remus was concerned and walked over to her to comfort her.

"I… got a text… from Cerise," Violet uttered, coming back to reality.

Everyone was silent for a few seconds but it felt like hours. "What did she say?" Zelts asked.

"She wants to meet with us to finally discuss our situation…" Violet answered while regaining her composure. "I guess she and the other girls want to talk with us."

"We didn't leave on the best of terms," Zelts admitted.

 _"STAY THE FUCK OUT OF OUR BUSINESS!"_ Those words were Violet's biggest regret. That moment played back in her mind every time she thought about mending things with Team CLSH and every time they refused to answer her made her feel worse. This message was the potential olive branch Violet was waiting for.

"I'm going to tell her we'll meet her. You guys fine with that?" she asked her teammates for confirmation. She needed to know if this move was the right one.

"Of course," Zelts answered, feeling Violet didn't need to ask.

"It'd be weird if things stayed the way they are. Plus, if I could get CLSH to come here, maybe I can get Sapphire and Ghost back together. That'll make him happy," Silver said.

Violet looked to Remus and he grinned at her. He was already on board with her choice. It was unanimous.

"I'll let Cerise know," Violet answered, sounding relieved and light-hearted. _"Maybe we can fix everything and start over,"_ she thought hopefully. _"Would they like it if I bought them some of C.P.'s stuff?"_

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Cerise received Violet's reply and showed it to everyone. She accepted.

"Excellent," Ebony said with an amused smile. "We'll lure them out and capture them."

"If you know them as well as you say you do, then you know VRSZ won't go down that easy," Loden told Ebony, knowing full well VRSZ is too strong to be taken lightly.

"Which is why we will be assisting you in this mission," Ebony clarified. "This is crucial to the kingdom. Failure is not an option. Understood?"

Each girl had eyes of conviction. All four of them were ready to take on their former friends. Ebony liked the look in their eyes. Team VRSZ and Team CLSH. Former friends now adversaries thanks to Ebony's manipulations and the Charming Vantablack planned to abuse the rift to further her plans even more. She wasn't concerned with the repercussions of both teams fighting each other or how this fight will affect the Vacuo as a whole.


	42. VRSZ Team CLSH Round 3: Betrayal

**Setting: Abandoned Settlement**

Towns and settlements in Vacuo rise and vanish so frequently that it was actually rare for anyone to hear no locations were destroyed or vacated in a week. This place was no exception. The settlement was small with tents and a few buildings made mostly from stone and whatever other materials the residents could get their hands on. It was meager compared to Nexus, to the kingdom, but it was neutral ground and the hosen rendezvous between VRSZ and CLSH.

This place was neither a sanctioned settlement or an ally of Nexus, or it wasn't when it was still populated. A deserted place served as the perfect battlefield for CLSH. There was no need to worry about casualties, bystanders being hurt or attracting Grimm with their panic. Cerise sat down on top of the rubble, waiting for VRSZ to appear. Sapphire did the same, standing by their leader's side. Hazel was checking her wasp drones and Loden appeared to be mentally preparing herself. Hidden within the town was Ebony's airship and lurking within the small settlement and out of sight was Ebony.

The battle was approaching, except Team VRSZ had no idea. The group from Nexus was driving through the desert to the location CLSH asked them to meet.

 **Setting: Desert**

"Doesn't it seem odd we have to meet with CLSH all the way out here just for a talk?" Silver asked as he drove the Fantasia.

"This place isn't allied with either of our homes, so it works for all of us. I don't think they want someone from the kingdom seeing them chat with us," Violet explained with a small smile on her face. She was clearly thinking about repairing the relationship between both teams and it filled her with delight.

"Hmm. If you say so," Silver said. He thought that was a weird reason, but didn't think about it any further.

"I wonder what they've been doing since we last saw them?" Remus asked aloud.

"With the kingdom going into overdrive these days, they've probably been doing a lot of things," Zelts answered.

"Those guys have been a pain in the ass for weeks now. Ya think CLSH can get them to ease up on us on our behalf?" Silver asked half-jokingly. He doubted they could do that.

"Anything's possible," Violet said, surprising Silver. That sentence sounded like something Zelts would say, not her.

"Wow. You're in a good mood," Silver commented with a grin.

She didn't even deny or hide it. "Yeah. I am. Let's see the others."

 **Setting: Abandoned Settlement**

It didn't take the team long to arrive at the designated location. Silver looked around the place, calling it a dump. Zelts felt bad for the people who used to live here and hoped they were doing better. That wasn't always the case with these situations in Vacuo. Remus checked their surroundings, realizing how abandoned this place was and thinking back to Fortuna, the last place VRSZ and CLSH fought together. Violet walked with purpose. Every step brought her closer to her friends and the chance of reconciliation. She wasn't going to let this moment go to waste.

It wasn't apparent to Violet or the others that their surroundings were changing as they got closer to the heart of the settlement. There were more and more stones and rocks throughout the area.

"Hey, guys," a familiar voice called out, alerting every member of VRSZ to look in the direction of the voice. The person speaking was Sapphire who stood on top of a large boulder. Her face showed none of the playfulness it usually did. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has… Where's everyone else?" Silver asked with an arched eyebrow.

"We're here, Silver," Hazel answered. She stood at the base of the boulder her friend was perched and her face seemed just as serious. "Sapphire just got a head start."

Their faces were taken to account by Silver and Zelts. It was too unfriendly. Remus was just happy to see them think too deeply about current expressions. Violet saw it as well but believed it was understandable after their last encounter. Loden appeared as well, standing by hazel's side.

"You guys look good," Zelts said to lighten the conversation, but none of the girls responded. The air was tense and Zelts sighed when none of them spoke. It was just as Violet said, the relationship between them really was strained.

"Listen, it's obvious that a lot of things were done and said the last time we saw each other. Most of it is our- my fault, but I want to make it up to all of you. We even bought all of you some shirts from this stand C.P. owns and… I know it sounds stupid for C.P. to have stuff people want, but I thought you'd guys would like it. We left them in the Fantasia so maybe we could-"

"Violet," Cerise interrupted, walking onto the scene on top of the same boulder Sapphire stood on. "Sorry, but we're not here to catch up." Violet's face fell when she heard that because it was the only reason she was here.

"You don't want to be friends again?" Remus asked with his usual bluntness, but it was necessary to get the truth in this situation. If Team CLSH didn't call VRSZ out to repair their friendship, what did they call them out here for?

Sapphire, Loden, and Hazel's faces changed when he asked the question. Their stern faces seemed to waver as they transitioned to uncertainty. With the notion of peace out the window, Violet was beginning to see each girl with a different set of eyes. They were uneasy about something or something they were about to do.

"You're not here for a personal matter, are you," Violet said dejectedly and slightly heartbroken.

Cerise was the only one whose face didn't give, but her eyes twitched and lips started to quiver. Her resolve was being put to the test now that she was in front of her former friends. Despite what she told her teammates, Ebony, higher-ups in the kingdom, and even herself, Cerise wasn't completely sure if she could do this.

"Don't crack under pressure, ladies. We have an assignment to complete," an all too familiar voice said. Violet widened her eyes once she recognized it and mouthed one word.

 _"No"_

The Charming Vantablack walked onto the scene, standing atop a building for all to look up to her in shock and awe. This was a situation no one on VRSZ was prepared for, but it was like Clair told them before; Ebony was using the kingdom of Vacuo as a wall to keep them at bay. And what's worse, she using their friends to fight them. It was a sickening tactic.

"You can't be serious?" Silver asked with harshness in his tone because he already knew the answer. "Dammit."

"Don't take it too harshly. These are orders from the kingdom. They really want you guys out of their hair," Ebony said with an air of gloating. She was basking in the spotlight.

"You say that, but why do I get the feeling the kingdom coming after us is your fault?" Zelts shouted. The calmest member of the team was showing his frustration, a rare sight. He didn't like the idea of using VRSZ and CLSH's relationship to their advantage.

Ebony was about to say something else, but the floor beneath her exploded in a fiery blaze. Violet wasted no time and threw an Enigma filled with fire dust at her enemy. Ebony was blown into the air but quickly recomposed herself, flipping backward and landing on her feet with a smile. It began with Violet firing the first shot and Team CLSH moving into to take them down.

Loden slammed her World Splitter into the large stone behind her and pierced through it with the blade. Cerise and Sapphire leaped off the boulder and Loden, with her insane strength and weapon's ability with earth dust, hurled the stone, as large as a one-story building at VRSZ. Silver pulled out his guns and fired two shots from each of them at the incoming boulder. Zelts put Heart of Gold on his back and stretched his arms out as the large stone came his way. Bracing himself, Zelts catches the huge stone, lightened thanks to Silver's Gravity Bullet, and throws it over his head. Violet and Remus jump in the air together and kicked the stone as hard as they could while it was still light and launched it at CLSH before the effects of Gravity Bullet ended.

To answer their counterattack, Hazel had her three wasp drones combine on her arm with their stingers aimed at the stone and charging with energy. She unleashed a powerful beam of lightning dust at the massive stone and it broke through, piercing the stone and eventually breaking it apart before it could harm anyone. All the rubble fell around VRSZ and CLSH, crashing into and destroying already ruined buildings. Two of Hazel's drone came off her right hand and moved to new positions. One returned to her Hive pack and the other moved to her left hand. Hazel used the drone in her Hive as a jet-pack and soared into the air. Loden was making her way toward VRSZ while Cerise and Sapphire couldn't be seen.

Silver had his sights on Hazel. He activated Gravity and jumped into the air, preparing for an aerial battle, but he felt his arms get entangled by something and learned he was being hanged instead of floating. He looked up to see Cerise and Sapphire standing on a small force field platform Cerise made with her semblance. Sapphire had her cables wrapped around Silver's arms and Cerise wasted no time with dropping a Runaway his way. The cherry bomb exploded above his head and Sapphire released him when it went off. The smoke cleared and Silver fell to the ground, dazed and his aura taking the hit.

Each member of Team CLSH spent a long time working with and training under Team VRSZ. They were using all the information they knew about them to the test. Their personalities, attack actions, attack patterns, and more. No one else knew them best and no one else had a better chance of defeating them. It was as Ebony predicted: CLSH was the best counterforce to VRSZ.

Violet watched the battle unfold before using Invisibility. Cerise quickly dropped her force field platform. She and Sapphire fell to the ground near Zelts while Loden moved in to fight Remus. The Knight of the Wind was hesitant to fight his friends, but the feeling wasn't reciprocated as Cerise threw a cherry bomb at him then quickly used her semblance to construct a spherical force field around Zelts who quickly activated Conversion to absorb whatever dust was about to be unleashed. Instead of an explosion of ice, fire, or lightning, the bomb set off an intensely bright light that blinded Zelts who was too close for comfort.

Sapphire twirled her hand and the cables wrapped around each other to make one big whip. Cerise dropped the force field and Sapphire lashed her Spinneret at Zelts whipping him hard in the chest and knocking him into a building. Zelts still couldn't see a thing as he felt the wind get knocked out of him. Sapphire uncurled her cables and marched to Zelts. Cerise left the battlefield. She knew who her opponent was and went to find her.

Loden was attacking Remus relentlessly and mercilessly. She swung her naginata around as Remus either evaded or parried her attacks, but the strikes he avoided were all downward. Anytime World Splitter hit the ground, Loden used the earth dust to cause stones to rise from the sand all across their area. The ground around them was completely made out of stone, uneven and jagged with spires and walls all over the place. Loden changed the very terrain of the settlement during her fight with Remus. She was ready to get serious.

Remus ran toward Loden to attack, but his path to her wasn't straightforward. With an uneven foundation and stones rising out of the area, he needed to move around just to get to her and it slowed him down. Loden braced herself and swung her weapon at the right moment. World Splitter connected with Delta as Remus brought his blade to block hers. Loden used her strength to follow through with her strike and Remus ducked to avoid the brunt of her force. World Splitter finished its swing and sliced through a boulder. Remus used her opening to slice her arm and he did, but with aura protecting her, Loden followed up her attack by grabbing Remus by the throat then tossing him into a stone pillar. His back slammed into and he slid to the ground before using Checkpoint. He reappeared behind Loden to fight back, but it was useless. Loden's Panorama allowed her to see Remus even if her eyes weren't on him. She lifted the pole of her weapon and used it block Remus's sword strike, but this was a feint. Remus used Checkpoint again but increased the amount of blue smoke it dispersed, covering the area and Loden.

Even with her 360-degree vision, Loden couldn't see through a smokescreen. She couldn't see him. She braced herself for Remus's attack no matter where it came from. As a precaution, she slammed World Splitter in the ground and activated the fire dust in tandem with the earth dust. The stone surrounding her feet began to surge with heat and burn like magma. It was too hot for anyone to stay in the same place. The ground Loden stood was the only place unaffected by her dust. All she needed to do now was wait for the smoke to vanish or for her burning earth to flush Remus out. She patiently waited to see Remus but saw something else come her way. It wasn't a sword or Remus and it didn't come from the front, back or sides. It came from above.

An unrelenting hailstorm of gunfire rained down upon Loden who spun her naginata around to deflect the attack but many bullets got through and pelted her aura. She was pinned down and unable to react to someone approaching her backside even though she could see them. That person held a weapon with a familiar blue glow and she guessed Silver came to give Remus an opening, but Loden was shocked to see Silver holding Delta in its laser rifle form and noticed the charge on the weapon. Silver pulled the trigger and unleashed a powerful blast of energy at Loden, launching her far into a building. The smoke dispersed from the shot, showing Silver was using Gravity to float above the burning rocks and above him was Remus with Fenrir as twin guns. Stormcloud was a success.

Silver quickly jumped off the rocks before they could actually burn them and soared to Remus's position in the air. The duo switched weapons and bumped fists in joy, but it didn't last long as Hazel flew by and jabbed Remus with the wasp drone on her arm, using the stinger as an arm blade. Once they were gone, Silver saw a boulder being hurled at him and he deactivated Gravity to avoid it. He figured Loden was too tough to be taken down like that.

Another building fell apart a distance away and Sapphire jumped out of it. Violent winds blew debris away with Sapphire using her cables to cut them apart or knock them away. Her opponent was Zelts. He looked at her with conviction in his eyes and Heart of Gold as wingblades in his hands. He hated this but knew he needed to fight them.

Further away from the battle, Ebony was walking through the abandoned settlement with a smile on her face while humming a pleasant tone. Following behind her was Violet who had her semblance activated to remain undetected. She wanted to get close enough to take her down.

"I'm not really one for stalkers. If you want to confess your feelings to me, just tell upfront," Ebony said in a teasing tone. She knew Violet was there.

Violet was still invisible and threw two of her knives at Ebony, but the Charming Vantablack nimbly stepped out of their path. "Even if they're invisible, I can still hear the faint sound of blades slicing through the air," Ebony commented.

Her surprise attack failed. Violet deactivated Invisibility and charged straight for Ebony who unsheathed Trois Reines, wielding it like a sword. Violet had one of her kukris in her left hand and stopped in the middle of her charge and swiftly ran to Ebony's side. She grabbed a throwing knife and tossed it at Ebony's feet, but she missed as Ebony jumped to the side as the knife hit the sand and ice formed from the impact. Without missing a beat Violet threw two more at the ground, aiming for the spot Ebony will land, then ran toward the Charming Vantablack.

The ground the Enigmas hit began to be coated in ice and Ebony landed on it with her balance slightly off, but she kept her composure. Violet reached her and kicked Ebony, but her enemy's reflexes were fast enough to bring up the scabbard of her weapon and use it as a shield to protect herself. Violet was still in the middle of her kick and Ebony had a free arm. She aimed her sword at Violet and slashed her back, but was countered by Violet who was smart enough to know what was coming next. She already drew her second kukri and brought her left arm to her back to block the sword strike. With both attempts to attack one another failed, Violet kicked herself off Ebony's scabbard to get some distance and Ebony backed away. In the air, while retreating, Violet put her kukris in one hand, pulled another throwing knife with the other, and threw it at Ebony who aimed her scabbard rifle at the knife. She fired a shot that blasted the knife away before it released a strong gust of wind.

 _"She's… good. Better than I thought she'd be,"_ Violet thought with a stern face while Ebony's bore a smile.

 _"Sorry, Vi, but I know my way around a fight. I did train to be a Huntress long before my aunt found me and I never missed a training session with Zinnia. I've been waiting for the day you and I fight,"_ Ebony thought with glee.

Ebony took a step back and felt herself step on something. She looked back and saw nothing but knew her foot on top of something. She realized what it was but it was too late. Her foot was encased in ice and it grew to her leg. One of the first knives Violet threw and Ebony dodged, she stepped on it and activated the ice dust in the hilt. A very small version of Violet's Flower Garden. Ebony was impressed. When it came to long plans and strategies, Ebony was the better between the two, but when it came to battle tactics, Violet shined a little brighter than her.

Violet dashed toward Ebony who was momentarily restrained and threw three Enigmas at her. Ebony smiled triumphantly because this attack was going to fail without her doing anything. Suddenly, a force field surrounded Ebony and the knives unleashed lighting on impact. Astonishment was the look on Violet's face when she scanned the area and found Cerise with a Runaway in her hand. Ebony quickly slammed her scabbard into the ice, breaking it apart with little effort and showing how easy it was for her to escape.

No words were said between the two. Eyes locked and tension high, Cerise and Violet knew they were going to battle each other, even if they didn't want to. Ebony could see both of them were a little hesitant, so she gave both of them some encouragement. Using Charm, Ebony said one word to both of them, "Fight!"

The two leaders were aware they would have to battle and Ebony's words only made it more obvious and unavoidable. Violet threw an Enigma at Cerise who created a force field wall in the knife's path and it hit, activating the fire dust in the hilt and causing it to explode. When the smoke cleared, Cerise could see that Violet vanished, most likely using her semblance to remain unseen. The leader of CLSH remained calm. She summarized Violet, though invisible, wanted to either defeat her or Ebony, so she would appear around them. She quickly created force fields around herself and the Charming Vantablack and they both heard the sound of an Enigma hitting Ebony's force field. When it made contact, the throwing knife exploded and covered Ebony's area in smoke and flames. Violet appeared in front of Cerise and delivered a powerful kick to the force field, but it didn't give. What happened next was something Violet didn't expect. The force field around Cerise glowed from the hit then that light returned to the point of impact and blasted Violet's foot, knocking her away as she landed back on the ground. When she hit the shield, she felt the force of her kick hit her back.

 _"Did Cerise improve her semblance that much since we last saw her? If only I had the time to praise her,"_ Violet thought with sad eyes.

Ebony was unharmed by the explosion, but she remained standing in the middle of the smoke and flames, waiting for the fight to continue. Cerise and Violet needed to fight longer for her plan to get the results she wanted. She also listened to the conflict going on with the others. She had confidence that battle will go her way, especially when the cleaner would come and finish the stragglers.

Cerise finally got rid of her force field and threw a bomb at Violet who quickly threw a knife at her. The bomb went off, exploding in front of Violet, and the knife struck Cerise's hand electrocuting her entire body. The Violent Flower knew Cerise was going to keep her at bay, so she needed to focus on long-range attacks while also getting closer. Violet ran out of the smoke after taking the hit and was ready to throw another Enigma, but Cerise created another force field wall, this time creating it in front of Violet the moment she let the knife go. It hit the wall and the dust activated, ferocious winds ruptured out of the knife and blew Violet into the wall of a building. She was taking hit after hit while she wasn't making much of a dent in Cerise.

 _"It's not just her semblance. Her reactions and judgment have gotten so much better… No… Not now. She's just another enemy. I have to see her that way. I need to fight her just like any other opponent. I have to be heartless,"_ Violet thought as she rose to her feet. Her eyes showed her intensity, how serious she was about fighting Cerise. She put her kukris back in their sheathes and pulled out two handfuls of throwing knives.


	43. VRSZ Team CLSH Round 3: Broken Bonds

**Setting: Abandoned Settlement**

The battle continued with things looking bleak for VRSZ. Violet was engaged with Cerise and Ebony while the rest of VRSZ and CLSH were fighting each other. Team CLSH knew VRSZ too well and were facing them with everything they had and they were being rewarded by pushing them back.

Loden was facing off against Silver, attacking him without rest and giving him very little time to retaliate. He used Gravity to maneuver around the area to get her off his trail, but Loden's Panorama made it impossible for him to lose her. Any distance he made she responded by throwing burning stones at him and the rocky floor of the area was burning from fire dust. She had Silver on the move whether he liked it or not. Another battle took place up above as Hazel engaged Remus. She used her drones to outnumber, overwhelm him, most importantly keep him on rooftops so he couldn't run and use his speed. He was deflecting her shots but the two drones worked in tandem to keep him busy until Hazel was mentally ready for her next move.

Zelts was having a better time than the others, but it didn't mean it was easy. Sapphire fought him indirectly since she couldn't take him in a head-to-head confrontation. He unleashed several wind blasts at her and she made an effort to dodge each one or to use the stones Loden created as barriers. She used her cables to hurl stones and debris at Zelts who either blocked them or blew them away with the wind. Sapphire flung her cables at one of his wingblades and wrapped around it. Zelts pulled her in as she wanted, and Sapphire brought her legs up and kicked him in the chest, pushing him a few feet back.

The girls had strategy and teamwork but so did Team VRSZ and they had much more experience. However, Team CLSH also had the wisdom to know their adversaries wouldn't be beaten so easily and they had a contingency.

It began with Silver. He was grabbed by Loden when he tried to escape her vicinity. She was able to catch him by the ankle while he used Gravity to make himself light then slammed him to the burning ground. Silver's aura protected him from any pain, but he still felt the intense heat behind him and he started to sweat. Loden lifted him and swung him into a nearby pillar and broke through it. She raised Silver after that hit and found Silver unmoving

His body was limp and he appeared unconscious. His twin guns were loosely dangling on his fingers. The battle was over. With the stone ground still burning around her, Loden needed to find a safe place to lay him so he doesn't get hurt. Loden looked around and found a small abandoned building with the door open ajar. It was close enough for Loden to toss Silver's body and keep him from harm. Loden held him in both hands and was aiming for the doorway, but she felt Silver fall out of her grasp followed by a pair of feet on her shoulders.

Playing possum was a dirty move, but Silver didn't care. He needed to get Loden to stop attacking so he could escape. As soon as he was raised over her head, Silver sprung back up, wrenched himself out of her hands, and jumped off her shoulders into the air with Gravity.

 _"Phew! Finally! She is scary… And she did a number on my aura. I can't do this for too long,"_ Silver thought now that he was airborne. He looked to the battles of his other comrades. _"It's time to turn the tide,"_ Silver glided to Remus and Hazel's battle while Loden used World Splitter to hurl burning rocks at him, but she kept missing.

Two of Hazel's drones flew around Remus at high speeds, firing an endless barrage of lightning dust bolts at him. He split Delta into its two swords and used them to parry and deflect the bolts aimed at him. The flurry of bolts kept Remus pinned down. The lack of space on the rooftop gave him nowhere to run either. Hazel was watching from a distance as she prepared for her next big move, but she heard the sound of gunfire. Two hit the drones and one hit Hazel's backside, mainly her Hive. The drones and Hazel suddenly felt heavy and they fell to the ground, unable to move. Remus was free and Silver landed on the roof. His aura was spent thanks to those last three Gravity Bullets. He couldn't use his semblance anymore.

"Go help Zelts. We'll grab Violet and bail," Silver told Remus who quickly teleported off the roof. Silver remained where he was as he heard the buzzing of wings. He sighed before smiling. "Guess that last bit of aura wasn't enough to hold you down.

He turned around with his guns in hand and was ready to face Hazel but his smirk vanished when he saw her. Hazel hovered above him but her aura was exuding off her body. It was the same ghastly aura she released when she activated her once hated semblance, Pandemonium, and Silver fell right into it. He was under her spell.

The settlement around Silver faded to black. He saw nothing around him as he scanned the empty space. His face showed he was nervous about being in this nightmare world. "Relax, relax. This is just her semblance. I know, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?" he said to himself for reassurance.

It was then Silver began to hear clicking and clacking, the sound of small footsteps, and eerie laughter. Silver turned around to see the thing he was afraid, marionette dolls, living, creepy, marionette dolls with disturbing smiles. There was a horde of them and they were marching toward Silver who eyes widened the moment he saw them.

He was terrified of puppets, especially marionettes. They were the creepiest. No one would ever find Silver in the presence of a horror movie with an evil puppet.

Fear was a natural emotion everyone possessed. One could hone their fear in order to face it without hesitation, but the emotion itself is not cast away. No one can ever be rid of fear. Pandemonium brought out a person's true fear in whatever form they perceive it and they can't escape no matter how disciplined they claimed to be.

Puppet horde walking toward him was haunting. Some walked on their legs while others crawled, scrapping their hands and feet against the floor, making an ear-splitting noise like the floor was made of metal. The laughter all of them emitted was not in sync or in harmony. It was chaotic. Each one had a different laugh, but they were all equally disturbing. A few of them were missing limbs or eyes, adding to how creepy they look. Whether a person had a specific fear of puppets or not, this sight would send a chill down their spine.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Silver screamed in the Pandemonium and he did the same outside of his hypnosis.

His screaming didn't faze Hazel as much as it usually would. Her face was a little perturbed, but she seemed more resilient in the face of her semblance, something she expected VRSZ didn't see coming. She lowered herself until she stood in front of Silver, seeing his frightful face as his glazed over eyes showed he was under Pandemonium's spell.

He was incapacitated, leaving Remus and Zelts, but with Remus going to fight with him, the battle was going to be challenging. They were the heavy-hitters of VRSZ. Hazel made a judgment call and pulled out her scroll. She tapped the screen a few times, put it into her pocket, then waited. It was time to summon their trump card.

Cables were the only thing connecting Sapphire and Zelts. She had them wrapped around his left arm and leg while she moved around him in circles, keeping him off-balance and preventing him from using his full strength. Zelts found more annoying than anything, but a clever way to fight around someone physically stronger. Even if one arm was in her grasp, he still had his right arm and his wingblade, but she kept moving around and tripping him up, making it difficult to aim or move as he wished. Sapphire kept him wrapped up with one of her gauntlets and was ready to throw a boulder at him with the other until she felt a kick to her gut.

Remus teleported into the battle and attacked Sapphire before she knew he was there. He used both his swords to slash her cables and free Zelts, but they didn't give. The cables of Spinneret were made of stronger metal than before but it didn't deter Remus from freeing Zelts. The kick pushed Sapphire back a couple of feet, but she remained standing. Remus quickly got to her person and grabbed her by the arms and used Checkpoint to teleport himself and Sapphire away from the area, freeing Zelts from her cables and leaving him alone for a moment until Remus teleported back to his side. The Blue Flicker seemed unharmed as he looked at Zelts.

"You okay?" Remus asked with concern while also not dropping his guard. The battle wasn't over.

"I'm fine," Zelts answered. "Where's Silver and-" he stopped talking when he looked to the sky with great confusion. Remus followed his gaze and his eyes widened in anger.

Ebony's trump card flew toward the duo at high speed, but they could see what it was. Remus stared at the thing he hated ever since his life started anew with Lupa. Monochrome was hurdling toward them with no sign of stopping. The droid moved in to fight against the ones Ebony deemed her enemies. Zelts used his wingblades and unleashed a powerful wave of wind at the robot who changed course to avoid the large cyclone coming its way, flying higher and veering to the left. After its maneuver, Remus teleported onto its back and quickly stabbed into it with both his swords, however, his blades didn't get deep into the machine who was aware of his presence. Monochrome moved its armor plating to show the dust nodes underneath and they glowed with lightning dust. In an instant, Monochrome discharged an enormous amount of electricity, electrocuting Remus who shouted in pain. The burst of lightning in the air caught everyone's attention, even Violet, Cerise, and Ebony and Violet resolved her self to fight in earnest. After the flash of light dimmed, Zelts could see Monochrome still flying and Remus falling from the sky. His friend was in danger.

Was Remus's aura still protecting him? Was he going to survive the fall? Where did that robot come from? All these questions swirled in Zelts's head as he ran to Remus, but he forced to halt when a wave of stone erupted in front of him, blocking his path. Loden, Hazel, and Sapphire appeared to face him. He scowled with the flow of the battle being so against him.

Remus finally came to while still falling and he looked around to find his bearings. Realizing he was falling, Remus positioned his body so he could land on his hands and feet, but was tackled by Monochrome who carried him through the push. Monochrome's left hand transformed into some kind of barrel gun and its right hand transformed into a lance. Remus wasn't going to let it keep attacking as it pleased. He pulled out a dust crystal from his pocket and placed it on his bracer. He still had aura left. Remus used Checkpoint and teleported in a freezing flash of snow and ice. The ice created from his semblance completely covered Monochrome who began to fall out of the sky while Remus teleported to the ground, panting heavily. He was still hurt from before but he wasn't going to stop fighting that robot. His hatred for them wouldn't allow it.

Violet could see and hear the battle her boys were going through. It was clear she needed to defeat the two in front of her and rally her team. She still had two handfuls of throwing knives and she planned to use each one.

The smoke cleared around Ebony but she refrained from entering the fight between Cerise and Violet. She wanted to watch this play out. Cerise braced herself, getting ready to activate Shields when Violet attacked, though her aura was getting low thanks to the successive use of her semblance. She needed to reserve enough to trap Violet, so she waited for the opportune moment.

Suddenly, she saw an alarming number of Enigmas come her way. Cerise activated her semblance to create a spherical force field around her. The knives rained down on her shield, but none of them went off. Then, one more knife came flying toward her and hit the force field, but not before activating the dust in the hilt. This Enigma possessed gravity dust and it began to pull in everything around it, including Cerise and the other Enigmas scattered on the ground or piercing the wall behind her. All the throwing knives gathered around the gravity knife and around Cerise's force field. Ebony noticed this and immediately retreated. The fire dust in the scattered Enigmas began to glow and they all went off, creating a huge explosion that consumed Cerise and the two buildings behind her.

Debris flew everywhere as the buildings were destroyed and fire spread through the area. Ebony was able to safely avoid getting caught in the blast. _"Sometimes, I don't know if Vi's insane like her family or not,"_

Cerise was inside one of the burning buildings after the explosion got her. Her force field completely protected her from the blast, but there were cracks and breaches all over. She deactivated Shields and fell to one knee, breathing heavily from the sheer shock of the explosion and how far her semblance was pushed.

 _"She's tough. I always knew that, but she surpasses expectations every time I see her,"_ Cerise thought.

The shadow of a figure walked through the smoke, ignoring the surrounding flames. Violet walked into the building with serious eyes that were a little frightening with the light of the fires around her and both her kukris were alit with flame. Intimidating as she was, Cerise didn't back down. She refused to give in and grabbed another Runaway. No true Huntress would ever do that. Violet dashed toward Cerise and vice versa, but their showdown ended abruptly with the sound of gunfire. Violet collapsed. Cerise looked at her former friend as she fell with utter disbelief. Violet Tulipe was defeated.

"That was close! Good thing her aura was gone." Ebony said cheerfully as she walked onto the scene. "Your little fight could've gone either way."

Cerise didn't say anything. She glanced down at Violet with disappointment in the battle, precisely with how it concluded. Even if the mission was to capture Team VRSZ, Cerise was unsatisfied with how her duel with Violet ended. Ebony stole the victory from her. It was prideful, but that's how she felt.

"Don't look at me like that," Ebony said like a scolding mother. "We have to put the mission before our personal desires." She lectured Cerise though she knew she was being hypocritical.

"…" Cerise didn't say anything and turned away from Ebony, glancing over to Violet's unconscious body only to looked completely astonished. Ebony looked to see Violet was gone. There were only two Enigmas sticking out of the ground. The Charming Vantablack wasn't as surprised as Cerise. She expected this from someone as clever and devious as Violet.

Playing possum was indeed a dirty trick, but just like Silver, Violet never cared about fighting honorably. She possessed enough aura to take the gunshot from Ebony's scabbard rifle, but not enough to continue to fight both of them. With what little aura remained, she activated Invisibility when they were talking and got away, leaving two Enigmas filled with wind dust.

A distance away from her previous location, Violet walked to the others, hearing the sound of the vortex she unleashed with her weapon. _"That should be enough to slow them down, I hope. If Zinnia and Brenton decide to join in, we're dead,"_

Monochrome, encased in ice, finally fell to the sandy floor. The robot didn't move but the ice began to crack until it finally freed itself. The large droid stood on its feet and flew to Remus's location with its arms still equipped with weapons.

The marionette puppets kept coming, swarming Silver as he tried his best to run away, but his legs finally gave out as he fell to his knees. The horror of the puppets crawling on him caused him to scream loudly as everything faded to black. Suddenly, Silver returned to reality, screaming loudly as he could until he felt his cheek suddenly sting. "Ow! Ow…dammit…"

"Get up," a voice he recognized said. Silver turned to see Violet crouched down beside him and he could see she was in bad shape. "We need to get the others and get out of here."

"Where are they?" Silver asked, realizing his head was throbbing painfully. _"After effects of Pandemonium? Man, that's a pain,"_

A stone pillar fell two blocks away and a small tornado could be seen rising then breaking apart. Zelts.

Monochrome returned to the sky and let loose a rapid-fire barrage on an area five blocks away then it revealed its wrist rockets and fired four of them along the street. Remus.

"Shit… They're both in two different locations and facing odds we couldn't handle in our current state. What are we supposed to do?" Violet wondered to herself, not seeing a way for all of them to get out of here. This was an incredibly bad situation.

Silver looked around and felt like he couldn't do anything. His aura was gone and he was staggering from Pandemonium. If anything, he'd be a liability than an asset. What could they do?

"I don't see a way out of this Violet," Silver admitted with head hanging low. "We might be beaten."

Sapphire had her cables wrapped around Zelts's arms and lifted them high before he could resist. Loden used the opening her teammate created to strike him in the chest with an upward slash. The attack from World Splitter launched him into the air and into a boulder. His back smacked hard against it as his aura broke and he landed on the ground, too tired to keep going. Sapphire wrapped her cables all over his body. He grunted and tried to free himself from her grip, but Loden and Hazel stood in front of him. World Splitter was aimed at his neck and the three Hive drones hover above him, flying in a circle. There was nothing else he could do. They were prepared to fight back if he tried to escape. Zelts was captured.

"Augh!" Remus shouted as he dashed toward Monochrome who was still airborne and launching missiles at him. He dodged each one as he kept moving forward until he threw Delta at Monochrome. His sword spun wildly as it headed toward Monochrome who batted it away with its lance once it reached. The sword was swatted away but was quickly grabbed by Remus, who used Checkpoint to close the distance before Monochrome could notice.

Remus's real eye flared. The ferocity behind it changed from what it usually was. His look in his eye was different compared to when his Cobalt blood was boiling. It was as if he wasn't looking at what was in front of him. Remus's mind was elsewhere. In a flash, he thrust his sword into Monochrome's arm and the blade penetrated the robot's alloy exterior, unlike his last attempt. He breached Monochrome's lance arm, but it didn't stop the robot from straightening out its damaged arm as Remus dangled from it with the spearhead of the lance aimed at his chest but it wasn't close enough to strike him. Monochrome fired its lance arm which blasted off its arm like a large missile, carrying Remus with it as it was sent down to the ground. Remus managed to yank Delta out of the arm and kicked himself off the arm before it reached the ground which was much closer than he realized. The lance hit the ground and the area around it exploded in flames, catching Remus in the blast. He was sent flying as his aura broke and he skidded across the sand before stopping. He was badly hurt and on the verge of passing out. His face was in the sand and sand was all he could see until two pairs of feet came into his line of sight.

"We weren't able to nab Vi, but this Remus is a great catch," Ebony purred in delight.

"…Okay. We'll meet you at the airship," Cerise said. "Sapphire just told me they captured Zelts."

"And what about Violet and Silver?" Ebony asked. Her question was the last thing Remus heard before he closed his eyes. Too exhausted to stay conscious. Remus was incapacitated and captured.

A car departed from the settlement as an airship landed within it. Violet was the only one capable of driving the Fantasia even if it was painful for both of them.

"We can't help them, not like this. She won't kill them… CLSH won't let her kill them. They went through all of that effort without bringing out Zinnia or Brenton meant they weren't trying to eliminate us. They'll keep them alive," Violet thought desperately as she drove away. She had to believe this. It was the only thing keeping her from turning back.

"We're doing the right thing…" Silver told her from the passenger seat. "We escape to fight another day, to get them back. It's not like we don't know where they're going, or who sent them."

Violet silently agreed while looking at the airship fly away in the rearview mirror. She was infuriated with the results of today. This morning began with her wanting to patch things up with CLSH, but it ended in one of the worse possible ways.

On this day, the renowned group named Team VRSZ was utterly defeated by Ebony and Team CLSH. Two members were captured by the kingdom while the other two were forced to retreat. The news was spread by the kingdom once Ebony and Team CLSH returned and it spread like wildfire. Team VRSZ's reputation took a major hit while Team CLSH's rose, but the person whose name rose higher than theirs was the one who successfully defeated VRSZ with one team while the kingdom sent several of them and failed. Ebony was getting the recognition she wanted while the kingdom continued to look incompetent in the eyes of the citizens. She was reaching the conclusion of her plan.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

Stone and metal bars. Those were the only things Remus and Zelts could see. They were in separate cells and were securely restrained. Zelts was confined in shackles, unable to move or escape, and Remus was suspended above the ground with cables. He was blindfolded to prevent the use of his semblance. Neither knew the whereabouts of the other, so they remained in their prisons, silently.

Prof. Theodore sat in his office with his eyes concentrating on the Charming Vantablack sitting in front of him with a boastful smile on her face. He knew why she was here and she was waiting for him to speak first. She could wait till the end of time to hear him say it.

"T-thank you for leading our students in apprehending the vigilantes. We…could not have done it without you…" the professor hated to admit it, but it was the truth, a harsh truth he had to face.

"Think nothing of it! All part of my duty. I'm just glad this ordeal has been resolved…partially," Ebony said.

"Indeed. With only two members of VRSZ in custody, we can say it was a complete defeat, but they have been split in half, meaning they'll eventually fall apart."

"You're wrong," Ebony corrected with a serious tone and a face to match. Prof. Theodore didn't know why her attitude changed. "VRSZ is a very tightknit group. They won't abandon their captured friends to save their own skins. Violet will come here and do whatever it takes to get them back and make sure we pay."

The professor placed his elbow on his desk and placed his hand on his chin. "Forgive me, but I have a hard time believing two people can cause the kingdom any sort of damage."

"That's what Atlas thought. I'm just telling you to be wary. Violet is one of the most dangerous people I know. She'll come here like a vengeful storm." Ebony got up and left Theodore to stew on those words. He sat behind his desk and contemplated her words.

 _"Whether he takes my advice or not is not my concern right now,"_ she thought once she left his office. _"For now, we rest. Then, we turn the masses against the kingdom. There will a revolution, then reform, ad we'll be hailed as heroes for bringing out change. I'm so close,"_

Ebony left with a satisfied expression and she nearly skipped her way out of Shade Academy.

 **Setting: Nexus**

Even though the sky was clear and there wasn't a cloud in sight, the day felt dull and muted. It was the day after their defeat, less than twenty-four hours had passed since Remus and Zelts were taken. The event left quite an impact on the settlement.

The council members were debating whether it was wise to get involved in the matter, showing Nexus and VRSZ were allies all along. Solis and Carmine wanted to help them, but Chartreuse and Percy told them the consequences could possibly set the settlement back drastically, even though they wanted to help, they couldn't let emotions overcome reason. The debate went on for hours with no conclusion in sight. Nothing got done until Clair entered the meeting room with severe eyes. All the council members knew that look. She made a decision and planned to follow through with it.

There was not a lot of livelihood going on in the place VRSZ called home. Violet and Silver secluded themselves in their rooms, but they were actively working. Silver was stocking up on bullets. He couldn't ask Bianca or Ghost for help. He couldn't have Nexus involved in their dangerous escapade. Violet was putting as many Enigmas into her bag as possible then took as many dust vials as she could, placing them in her pockets, and sharpened her kukris.

Her mind was focused on the task as she blocked out her surroundings. She couldn't forgive them. Team CLSH and Ebony split their party in two and gave Remus and Zelts to the kingdom. Learning of their predicament made her think back to when she was taken to Atlas, to her family. Ebony did that to her and she was doing this to the others. The roles were reversed. This time it was her turn to save them.

"No matter what it takes," Violet said in a low tone. It was a phrase she started saying every now and then when she and Silver got back. Her resolve was unyielding. She made her wishes known to Silver on the way back.

The kingdom of Vacuo, Ebony Vantablack, and Team CLSH. She was going to take them all down if… Not if, when they got in her way.

"No matter what it takes," she growled as she put her kukris into their sheathes.

Team CLSH. Cerise, Loden, Sapphire, and Hazel. All four of them abandoned their friendship and fought without holding back. It was Violet's turn to do the same. She mentally prepared herself for the eventual battle. They were just like any other enemy.

"NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!" She shouted in anger.

A loud knocking was heard on the other side of her door. Violet was snapped out of her concentrative trance when she heard it. "Uh- come in," she called out.

Silver walked in with Clair behind him. The duo stood and watched Violet whose body was sweating a bit. She didn't notice until she wiped her forehead. "What is it?" she asked.

"Clair… has something to tell us," Silver sighed as he moved over so the Lady of Nexus could have the floor.

"Call off your attack. I'm not allowing you to assault the kingdom," Clair declared with an authoritative tone.

Violet's eyes widened in shock. Fueled by rage, she sprang to her feet, marched over to Clair, closing any space between them, and glared her down. If her best friend was going to be another obstacle blocking her from her boys, then Violet was going to remove her just like the rest.

 _"No matter what it takes!"_


	44. The Fallacy of Surrender

**Setting: Prison**

The prison holding Remus and Zelts was nothing extravagant. No artistic style or anything resembling the notion. It was carved out of a massive boulder with iron and metal reinforcing the inside. That was all it needed to serve its purpose: containing prisoners. Two prisoners were given special priority over the usual riffraff and they also had a guest.

"How are you guys doing? Are they taking good care of you? Or taking care of you at all?" Ebony asked Zelts who was in his cell, completely restrained by chains and wearing prison clothes. He could hardly move. His body felt incredibly stiff, but he refused to lift his neck and look at Ebony. She was the reason she was in here and he didn't want to acknowledge her.

"Is this conversation only going to be one-sided? You have to say something," Ebony told him, almost pouting when he denied her. Her childish antics got her nowhere as well. "Fine. Have it your way. I just wanted to make sure the guards were treating you with basic rights. If you won't say anything, I'll go see if Remus will talk to me. He's not the type to hold a grudge."

"Don't talk about us like you know us," Zelts wanted to say but kept it in his head. He glued his eyes to the ground as he heard Ebony walk away.

"What did they do to you?" Ebony asked Remus who was suspended in the air by cables and blindfolded. "You weren't a threat to them when you got here. I kept all your weapons, so-"

"My eye…" Remus said. His throat was harsh and dry. The desert heat and the lack of water did a number on him. "They took my eye." He sounded so defeated.

Ebony leaned closer to the bars of his cell, inspecting Remus's face. She could see traces of dried blood beneath the cloth. Any happy feelings she had before now vanished when she learned of this. Having taken his bionic eye out personally and the sign of blood also showed her they were purposely rough. A small storm brewed in her breast but she kept it maintained for now.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I doubt they will let me return it to you, but I'll see if I can get it from them," she assured him.

"…" Remus didn't say anything. His head was facing her as he listened to her talk. It was the only indication of her location.

"Listen, I don't know when I'll see you guys again, so I wanted to come here and see you and Zelts one last time, just in case. But something tells me a certain someone will make her way here and come to the rescue, or try to. With the entire kingdom against VRSZ, I don't see a way any of you can win, but I'll watch all the same." Ebony walked away.

"Farewell, my lovely Remus and Zelts. I have to prepare for a game of chess with an opponent I've been waiting a long time to arrive."

Remus and Zelts said nothing as the orchestrator of their capture left the prison. At the entrance, Ebony wasted no time as she found a group of four guards playing with Remus's bionic eye. They were tossing it in the air, passing it to each other, then one of them threw it against the wall to see if it'll bounce or break. The bionic eye did crack on the impact, splitting down the middle, and the guards whined at their friend for breaking their new toy.

Seeing what happened to the eye sent Ebony into a raging frenzy as she grabbed Trois Reines from its scabbard and changed it from sword to spear. In a matter of minutes, Ebony had beaten each guard badly and afterward she took the eye and used Charming on all of them, suggesting none of them have to let anyone know about this incident or else it will hurt their pride. Ebony left the prison while gently holding Remus's bionic eye.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

The sound of a large engine was heard as the citizens of the kingdom looked to the sky where they found an airship flying overhead. It soared over the kingdom and landed just outside their southeastern border. The people in that area gathered to see who was coming to their home. Pushing through the crowd were the city guards who protected their home from invaders which were more common here than the other four kingdoms.

Over two dozen members of the city guard got into formation by the airship's left side. They aimed their rifles and armed their blades for whatever threat was on their doorstep. The docking bay of the vehicle opened its door and lowered it to the sand beneath. The sound of footsteps on a metal floor could be heard from inside. The guards held their position as they waited for the enemy to appear. It was clear from the inconsistent clanking that there was more than just one person aboard the airship.

"Stand down! All of you, lower your weapons!" the soldiers heard from behind and they didn't need to turn around to see who gave the order. All of the guards broke their formation, opening up in the middle to allow their superior to walk through and the person commanding them was the headmaster of Shade Academy, Professor Theodore. "It's impolite to aim guns at welcomed guests."

Walking off the airship was the Lady of Nexus herself, Clair de Lune Vantablack. She looked downcast as she looked up at Prof. Theodore. Following behind her were Blood and Azura. The former had a stoic look while the latter was clearly irritated. Azura glared at each guard, mentally daring them to try and fight her. She was itching to have them all begging for mercy.

"Stop it," Blood whispered to her. She didn't say anything and just grunted in response, dropping her hateful gaze and keeping her eyes on the rest of her surroundings.

Prof. Theodore approached Clair and extended an open hand for her. She raised her hand as well and shook his. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Clair de Lune Vantablack. Your name has spread far in this region of Remnant. I must say, our interaction is long overdue," Theodore said with a gentle smile.

His kind expression was reciprocated as Clair said, "Yes, it's nice to meet you as well, Prof. Theodore…" Her words were as lifeless as her eyes. There was no sign of Clair's charm to be found.

"Right. I'm sorry for the rude greeting the guards gave you. Your call was so short noticed, I never got to inform them of your arrival. I'm sure you can understand their reactions due to the fragility of the four kingdoms and the safety of our refugees, no?" Theodore asked.

"Of course. Now, let's get our meeting started," Clair said.

"Yes. Right this way," Theodore guided Clair to the kingdom with Blood and Azura following behind her.

As the four-person group proceeded to the kingdom, the guards stormed Clair's airship. They breached the vehicle and raided it without hesitation, checking every nook and cranny for suspicious items or any more people who accompanied her. They found nothing, but their efforts didn't go unnoticed.

Clair and her Enforcers turned to watch them with great annoyance on Azura's face. Blood kept his cool, but his furrowed brow showed he didn't like the forceful inspection. Clair kept her nonchalant expression while Theodore glanced at all of them.

"Forgive my guards. It's like I said, we can't be too careful with Remnant being more fragile than ever since the fall of Beacon."

The group continued to the kingdom and were met by someone familiar to everyone in the party. Ebony Vantablack watched her cousin and retinue approach the kingdom with her arms crossed and a deviant smile on her face. By her side was Zinnia, who kept a safe distance to respond to whatever threat would come.

"Heya, Clair! I'm glad you've finally come to visit us in the kingdom! There's so much I want to show you!" Ebony walked over to her cousin and wrapped her arm around Clair's, escorting her toward the kingdom. Her movements didn't seem appreciated by Theodore.

"I'm sorry, Ebony, but I would like to have our meeting as soon as possible," he interjected.

Ebony pouted and activated Charm. "Don't worry. I only want to show her around a bit and talk to her. It's not very often we get to spend quality time together. Work keeps us apart too much. Will you please allow us an hour of bonding?"

Her semblance was as effective as always. The headmaster saw no reason she and Clair couldn't spend a bit of time together if they don't meet up as often as he thought. Ebony smirked on the inside. Her semblance has yet to let her down. Theodore bent to her will, believing it was his idea.

"I'll give you an hour to catch up and nothing more. Bring her to my office when you're done," he instructed the Charming Vantablack who gave him a small, innocent smile.

"Yes, Prof. Theodore," she said and walked with Clair into the kingdom.

Blood and Azura shared puzzled expressions before following the two Vantablacks. However, Blood stopped walking with Azura when he noticed Zinnia observing him, not moving from her spot. Her face was neutral and unreadable. The bat faunus couldn't figure out if she was mad or pleased to see him. He guessed mad after he betrayed Ebony in Fortuna.

"You didn't betray her," she said, shocking Blood.

"Did she know what I was thinking?"

"I was aware of the pact you and Ebony had and I knew she broke it. If you think I'm upset with you leaving us, you're wrong. Your departure was inevitable," the Paragon explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

"..." Blood was surprised and also not surprised Zinnia was being so professional about this. He believed she would've been crossed with him.

"Despite your leaving and everything that's been going on between our two lieges, let me say this; I'm glad to see you are doing well," Zinnia said with a warm smile.

Now that was surprising to Blood. He didn't think he formed that deep of a bond with Zinnia or the other Champions for them to feel anything toward him. He really needed to rethink his understanding of Ebony's group, again.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

The two Vantablacks spent half an hour in the kingdom, walking around and interacting with the citizens and refugees. This merry time was mostly ignored by Clair. She participated, but her heart wasn't in the moment like Ebony, who was a rising figure in the kingdom. Many of its citizens called out to her and praised her for her deeds. It wasn't rare for Clair and the others to hear some of the people asking Ebony to take over or speak with the Academy higher-ups to change a multitude of things. The Charming Vantablack was quick to answer them with assurance she was doing what she could to help them. It was obvious things were stirring in the kingdom with Ebony at the center.

After a quick walk through a part of the kingdom, Ebony took her cousin to her airship to talk without the worry of spies or curious bystanders. They boarded the airship and walked into the common area where Clair and her group met Brenton and were introduced to Monochrome.

"Do you like my recent addition? It's something I just love to show off. Who doesn't love a robot?" Ebony said, filled with pride every time she shows anyone Monochrome.

"Remus would hate it," Clair, Blood, and Azura all thought at the same time.

Clair observed the droid more intently than the rest. She looked it up and down and recognized it as the robot C.P. and Onyx were working together to make and sell. "Where did you get it?" she asked her cousin.

"From a seller in the kingdom. He was trying to make a quick buck, but I saw the real potential in Monochrome," Ebony answered.

"So, you somehow made your way here. What a twist," Clair thought amusingly.

"It's nice, but not the reason I brought you here," Ebony told Clair before guiding her to a certain table. "Everyone, keep yourselves busy while Clair and I have a little discussion and play a little game.

Brenton and Zinnia went about their business. The King of Flames was making himself something to eat in the kitchen with the Paragon by his side, thought Zinnia was there just to keep an eye on Ebony and the others. Blood and Azura weren't sure what to do. They were technically in enemy territory, so all they did was awkwardly stand in the same spot.

The time finally came. Ebony waited so long for her opponent to show and begin the game of chess she planned for all this time. The Charming Vantablack sat on the end with the black pieces while Clair sat at the end with the white pieces. Ebony made the first move.

Both Vantablacks made moves effortlessly with no clear winner between them. Their match was mesmerizing to the others as they played chess with grace none of them thought could be made in such a strategy game. Zinnia fully grasped why Ebony waited for her cousin to play her. Clair was not only an intellectual match for Ebony, but she also forced Ebony to make bold moves she never had to do for any other player, and it worked the other way around. The first game ended quickly, with Ebony's victory.

"Let's go again," she encouraged. They prepared the board for another game.

"I'm sure you know why we're here," Clair told Ebony in the middle of the game. "After all, you're the reason we're here."

"By we, do you mean yourself and your Enforcers, or do you mean yourselves and VRSZ? Those two boys are doing fine, somewhat. Don't worry. I've been checking in on them now and then to make sure they are treated with care or some form of it."

"...Good," Clair said as she claimed a knight from Ebony. "The blow you dealt was severe."

"I'm sure it was. I needed it to be to keep things moving forward."

"All part of your plan to be immortalized in history," Clair said as she watched Ebony take her bishop.

"Yes. For my dream to be realized, sacrifices must be made."

"It seems like everyone is sacrificing something but you. Checkmate," Clair said as she claimed victory over the second game. "Again?"

"We have time for one more game before your meeting with Prof. Theodore. Though, it's not much of a meeting and more like an armistice. Maybe I should just be curt and call it a forceful surrender."

"..." Clair didn't say anything and continued the game.

"You came all this way to save them by any means necessary, even if it means turning Nexus into the kingdom. It's very noble."

"So, you know why I'm here. I guess it was obvious what my plan was, but nonetheless, I decided to do this for their sake."

"What did the others think?" Ebony asked with curiosity as she took the last of Clair's pawns.

"Outrage. Most of the council members weren't pleased with my decision and the most explosive one was Violet," Clair explained.

Ebony giggled, imagining the Violet Flower's reaction. "I'm sure she was."

"Originally, she wanted to take Remus and Zelts back by force and raze the kingdom to the ground. It was self-destructive and I had to put a stop to it. She's restrained in Nexus, but…our friendship might be over once this is all done…" she said with a heavy heart.

"..." Ebony didn't say anything after that. The alarm on her scroll went off and she knew it was time to take her cousin to Theodore. "Well, our tiebreaker ends with no clear winner."

"The match isn't over. We'll continue another time," Clair assured Ebony.

"Of course. Now, let's go before the professor gets mad."

 **Setting: Shade Academy**

Clair was going to sacrifice Nexus's freedom to save her friends. The independent settlement will soon be another sanctioned part of the kingdom. This union would allow her to take the imprisoned VRSZ members back home where they will be prohibited from mercenary work and fight on behalf of the kingdom.

She sat in Theodore's office to finalize the terms of their agreement with the headmaster broadcasting their meeting for all to see. It was a momentous day for the kingdom and he wanted everyone to know they will not be opposed by anyone no matter their popularity or power.

"So, your call for this meeting all but proves Team VRSZ is allied with Nexus and has been fighting on their behalf in secret," Theodore said for everyone to hear.

"Yes," Clair responded robotically. She wanted this to be quick and painless, but Theodore was dragging it on to make the kingdom look good.

"I'm surprised you're willing to give up your rebellious home for these rogues. It's unusual behavior for a monarch."

"I'm not a monarch," Clair corrected with more force in her voice. "I was when Fortuna was still around. The project the kingdom abandoned and I started anew. I grew Fortuna back to its former glory and then some, but the kingdom did nothing to help. We were soon plagued with bandits, raiders, gangs, and all types of criminals, but the kingdom did nothing. I did my best to control it in my own way, but it wasn't enough. Then, one day, four individuals came into our home and into our lives and defeated every crime boss and criminal in our home."

Clair's speech wrapped everyone's attention as she talked about the story of VRSZ, her life, and the absence of the kingdom. Theodore wasn't liking this but found no place to stop her.

"VRSZ made Fortuna a paradise for everyone, all the way until its downfall… Even then, when the Grimm came, and our enemies destroyed our home, they fought to keep us safe! And where was the kingdom when tragedy befell us!?" Clair yelled at Prof. Theodore.

"We created Nexus to start over and make a new home, a place where VRSZ would always be welcomed with open arms. Months of work and we've prospered, without your aid even though you denied us. Fortuna and Nexus. Neither would've been possible without Team VRSZ, a group of people who have helped me survive and protected my dreams and you have the nerve to ask me why I would do this for them?"

"VRSZ...no. Violet, Remus, Silver, and Zelts. Each one of them has given their all for me and what kind of person would I be if I didn't do the same!?" she stood from her seat and stared at the headmaster down with fury in her eyes.

The office space and the entire kingdom were the same. Silent. On the screens, for the citizens to see, Her words and the fire of her heart enthralled all who saw her. Team CLSH watched from within Shade Academy with many other students. They understood where Clair was coming from. Just like her, they owed a lot to VRSZ, but now, they were on different sides. Ebony was outside Theodore's office, leaning against the wall by the door, listening to everything with a cool expression.

There was nothing to be said. Clair was going to surrender but she wanted to make her wishes known to all. What could anyone say after that?

In time, the silence was broken, but not by Professor Theodore, but by an alarm going off in his office. The loud annoying sound shocked everyone before the headmaster clicked on it to stop. He received a call and he answered quickly. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"Sir, we're under attack!" he heard on the other line.

"Who is at our borders?"

"It's not from the outside, sir. We're being attacked from within. Someone broke into our prison!" the person on the other line explained.

Theodore was astonished someone got this deep into his kingdom unnoticed. Clair, Ebony, and every member of CLSH knew the group daring enough to infiltrate the kingdom.

 **Setting: Prison**

Guards laid on the floor unconscious or groaning in immense pain. Gunfire echoed throughout the prison as inmates watched the spectacle before them. Guards were being shot at with bullets full of dust. Some of the guards were frozen in ice, others were badly burned, and many were being beaten senseless by the Silver-Tongued Gunslinger, attacking a large group with them with Fenrir as escrima sticks. Showing no remorse, he bashed his metal stick against the head of a guard who dropped to the ground after the severe blow. The inmates were cheering him on as he fought any guard who came his way. He avoided bullets fired at him and shot his own back at them with the skills of an incredible marksman.

On a floor above him, Silver heard the screams of guards as a malevolent force wreaked havoc. Violet showed none of them any mercy. They kept her teammates prisoner. Her fighting was brutal as she only used her kukris and hand-to-hand combat to deal with the guards. She made three deep slashes against the chest of one guard then grabbed the arm of another guard who tried to attack her backside with a sword. One swift movement and Violet dislocated his arm then kicked him in the face to knock him down. She activated the ice dust in her kukris to cover the blades in ice and make ice swords. She dashed into a group of ten guards and took them all out while barely getting a scratch. The fight ended with Violet having one of her blades piercing the stomach of one guard while her boot pressed against the neck of another. She didn't care for their well-being. All she knew was that they were in the way.

She truly earned her moniker, the Violent Flower.

 **Chapter 45: The Scarred Flower**

* * *

 **Cerise's semblance has improved dramatically since VRSZ last saw her. Her Shields cannot only defend against attacks but send a power of their power back at the attacker, dealing damage to those who physically strike her force fields.**

 **Hazel has learned to accept her semblance and uses it in combat to paralyze her opponents, making her a more formidable threat.**

 **Clair bought some VRSZ merchandise from C.P. and keeps it to herself. She bought a body pillow of Zelts and sleeps with it when she's not with Evergreen. She also has one of Violet.**


	45. The Scarred Flower

**A/N: I do not own any of the characters associated with the RWBY franchise. All rights belong to Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

 **Setting: Prison**

Violet and Silver fought their way through the guards until they reached the lower levels of the prison. Only three guards were stationed to watch Remus and Zelts and they heard the carnage above. All three guards had fear in their hearts and it only grew bigger with each passing minute until they heard someone try to open the door to this floor. It was locked and they prayed that was the end of it, but knew it wasn't. A blade pierced the door, a blade burning bright with heat as it started to slowly cut through the door until it did so with ease. It fell apart with Violet holding her heated kukri and Silver on the other side.

The three guards were terrified as Violet approached them with the intent to kill emanating from her like an aura. Silver stood by the door to make sure no one caught them from behind. Besides, he knew she didn't need his help.

One of the prison guards lost his cool and fired his gun at Violet, but his frantic action was fueled with fear and he didn't aim for her. The bullet hit the wall behind her and near the door. Silver peeked over his shoulder to see the situation but returned to sentry duty a second later. Violet gripped both her kukris and the other guards joined in attacking her, firing their guns without end. She brought her blades up and parried each bullet that came her way, protecting herself with a face of silent anger. With each step, she got closer as he blocked every bullet that came her way. The swiftness of her movements scared the guards, causing them to keep firing until they ran out of ammo. They were defenseless.

Zelts tried to crane his head up as high as he could to see what was going on, but he could only see pairs of feet moving outside of his cell. He heard screams and saw bodies fall to the ground. Remus couldn't see anything. All he had to rely on was his hearing, but he knew what was going on and he smiled.

The keys to the cell doors were strapped to the belt of one of the unconscious guards. Violet grabbed it and took one of the keys while tossing the other to Silver who walked once she was done beating the three men to a pulp. He stood in front of Zelts's cell and unlocked the door. Violet did the same for Remus.

"Wow, you actually pull off the prisoner look," Silver joked as he approached Zelts. He went to the anchors where the chains were strung up and released them one by one, releasing their grip on Zelts until he was free. The Knight's body was incredibly stiff. His entire body ached. It hurt to move, but he fought through the pain as he got to his feet, grunting and struggling to do so with his body also feeling numb. He almost fell to his knees until he felt someone beside him and an arm around his waist.

"You all right?" Silver asked, genuinely concerned about his friend.

"...I'll be fine. I just need to get the blood flowing through my legs. Been on my knees the whole time I've been here," Zelts said with his confidence showing, but Silver looked disgusted.

"Please phrase that differently. It doesn't make a great image. Being on your knees in prison." His comment got a laugh out of his withered friend and Silver smirked.

Violet wasted no time after she opened Remus's cell door. As soon as it opened, she rushed in and cut through every cable with her kukris. Once the last few cables were severed, Remus fell to the ground and Violet dove down to help him.

"Are you okay?" she asked. The anger she displayed earlier completely vanished. Placing on hand on his cheek to check his condition and using the other to remove the blindfold, Violet was taken back when she saw Remus's bionic eye was gone. There was just an empty socket with small traces of blood around it. The rage returned for a brief moment, but it faded when she looked at his whole face. He was relieved she was here.

"You're here…" Remus rested his head against her chest to listen to the soothing sound of her heartbeat.

"I'm so glad you're safe…" She held him close for a brief moment before helping him to his feet. His body was stiff, but Remus had no trouble standing on his own.

"We're getting out of here. There's not much time left," Violet told him and the others. She saw Zelts's condition and said, "We'll walk out of here to give you some time to recover."

"Do we have time for that?" Zelts asked as he used Silver as support.

"We took out all the guards, so walking around the prison isn't a problem, but we are inside the kingdom and they have Huntsmen and academy students everywhere. We can't fight them all and win. Now, we run like hell." Silver explained as he helped Zelts to the door.

Violet and Remus were behind them. "I promise to find your eye," she told him as they walked out of the cell room.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

The people were in a state of confusion as they learned of Team VRSZ breaking into their prison. Honestly, none of them knew what to expect, because it was such a small group against the entire kingdom. The winner was obvious. Feeling somewhat secured of their safety, the people of the kingdom just waited for the matter to be handled as the city guard began to swarm the prison.

The guards reached the prison and were already trying to storm the facility, but when one got too close, an explosion of flames and lightning went off beneath her foot. She was blown away along with her squadron. Another group tried to approach the prison by going around the first group's path, but they felt like they stepped on something and they were all frozen from the waist down, completely immobilized.

Land mines or dust explosives. These were the guesses the guards came up with to explain this strange phenomenon. Bombs were set underground around the prison and they needed to find a way to get around them or deactivate them to keep citizens from falling prey to the bombs. The guards needed to proceed with caution.

 **Setting: Prison**

"Flower Garden should keep them busy for a while, but Invisibility won't last on them for long. We'll sneak out the back way and get ut of the kingdom, Violet told her boys as they walked through the prison to make their escape.

All of the prisoners yelled, bargained, and begged for VRSZ to set them free, but their cries fell on deaf ears. Violet and the others weren't going to let them out on the world. What happened in Fortuna wasn't going to happen here, even if they didn't care for the kingdom.

 **Setting: Shade Academy**

There was no way of knowing what was going on in the prison from Theodore's office. The leader of the academy was stuck in his quarters, wondering what was going on in his home. Team VRSZ has been a thorn in his side for a long time, but this incident was more than a little trouble. Now, they were national criminals and this young lady in front of him was a likely accomplice. His eyes were on Clair and she could see the intensity. She scoffed at him and looked annoyed.

"Don't lump me in with them. I told VRSZ I would handle this on my own and they should stay out of trouble. They didn't listen, showing how little respect they have for me… If your forces capture them, do whatever you want. VRSZ is no longer affiliated with Nexus," she said coldly.

It was alarming for Prof. Theodore to hear her say that. His disbelief left paused him as he just watched her sit there with her scroll in her hand, playing a game. She didn't care about the situation. Originally, she was here on their behalf but now she was leaving VRSZ for the wolves. This made their contract void, but it also gave rise to the chance to arrest VRSZ without repercussions.

Prof. Theodore used his scroll to call several teams to confront and detain VRSZ, three teams who had experience dealing with the four rogues. Clair did nothing as she heard the calls he made. She continued to play video games on her scroll. Ebony was still outside Theodore's office, smiling to herself at the state of affairs while Zinnia kept an eye on Azura and Blood who did nothing but wait for their liege to return.

 **Setting: Prison**

The backside of the prison was made of stone and the place Team VRSZ planned to make their escape. It was also the place where another team planned their ambush. Inside the prison, Team VRSZ was going to break through the wall and on the outside was Team SSSN or three-fourths of Team SSSN. Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage were one of the teams assigned with holding VRSZ back until the entire city guard reached their location. All of the kingdom's forces could overwhelm them.

Neptune and his teammates waited for VRSZ to appear. He had his Tri-Hard in rifle form with Scarlet by his side who aimed his pistol at the wall. Sage stood near the was so he could attack them at close combat.

 _"The element of surprise. We'll get the drop on them and bring them in for questioning, junior detective-style. All we gotta do is wait,"_ Neptune thought with a confident smirk.

Sage heard the wall being pounded from his side. They were here. "Guys! Get ready!" he warned his teammates who braced themselves for the upcoming fight.

The pounding sound got louder and louder and the wall began to crack from their side. It could fall apart at any time.

"We're going into lockdown!" Neptune shouted with enthusiasm and the wall exploded outrageously.

Stones flew everywhere while smoke and fire spilled from the wall. Team SSSN watched as someone walked out of the smoke by themselves. Instead of the whole team appearing before them, Violet stood outside, glaring at Neptune and Scarlet with the deadliest, most intimidating glare they have ever seen. She turned to Sage who tried to approach her from the side and she paralyzed him with a look.

The aura she gave of felt unfathomable and sinister. Every member of Team SSSN felt the same at that moment. The fear of going into darkness and never coming out. Violet's eyes showed her intent to kill. She wasn't backing down and it sent a chill down their spines. It felt like they were going up against a terrifying Grimm that would devour them all. Violet pulled one of her kukris out of their sheath and pointed the blade at Neptune and Scarlet who were too frightened to fight let alone move. They did nothing against this monster disguised as a young woman.

Silver, Remus, and Zelts emerged from the hole. Zelts regained enough strength to walk on his own, but he wasn't in any condition to properly fight. Remus was in better form, but they both lacked their weapons which were on Ebony's airship and in the opposite direction they were going, but they didn't know that. All they cared about was escaping.

Team SSSN remembered their last encounter with VRSZ. The team prioritized escaping, but the battle proved how formidable they were. Her eyes. Violet's intimidating eyes showed how serious she was. Nothing happened. Neptune and his team didn't move as Violet walked toward them than past them. Her boys followed suit, leaving a stunned Team SSSN in the same spot.

Eventually, Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage broke out of their fearful spell and wondered how they were going to explain this to everyone else. Before any of them could come up with an answer, knives suddenly appeared out of nowhere, scattered around the sand around them and the prison. Violet's Flower Garden was no longer in effect and the guards mobilized around it while pursuing the rogue team.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

As Team VRSZ ran through the kingdom to escape, they pushed and shoved people out of their way, or Violet and Silver did while Zelts politely stepped aside and Remus kept a leisure pace to stay with them. Their disturbance only signaled the city guards of their location. Several groups were converging on their location.

"Remus!" Violet called out. Four squadrons reached VRSZ's destination but didn't find their targets. All that was there were the citizens and vapors of blue smoke. Watching from atop a nearby building, Team VRSZ escaped danger thanks to Remus's Checkpoint. Quick escapes were one of the best qualities of his semblance.

"We're on a rooftop... Good," Zelts said as he looked to the border of the kingdom. "Checkpoint should get us out of here in one-"

He stopped talking when he sensed the presence of others. Violet and the others felt it too. On another roof, a group of people planned to attack them.

"Get down!" Silver shouted and everyone ducked to the floor as a stream of bullets came their way. The low walls of the roof kept them somewhat safe as the barrage continued. They were all pinned down.

On another rooftop was Team CFVYwith their leader laying suppressing fire against VRSZ. She was ready for payback after their scuffle in Nova. "Fox, Velvet! Get ready to move in and attack from their backside!"

"Right!" Velvet answered, eyes full of determination.

"You got it," Fox answered confidently.

The two of them leaped from the building to the rooftop of others until they jumped in the air the roof VRSZ was located, but they noticed no one was around when they landed. Coco stopped firing once her teammates got there but were surprised she didn't see anyone fighting.

"Above us!" Yatsuhashi screamed and he rushed to Coco's side, covering her body with his large frame while keeping his sword above his back as bullets rained down on them. Silver and Remus were directly above them and the former was responding to Coco's attack with one of his own as they slowly descended. Yatsuhashi was able to protect his leader and mostly shield himself with his sword, but a few shots were hitting his backside. Being pinned, neither could react to Remus who landed next to them while they were still under fire, ran up to them and quickly used Checkpoint to teleport them away. Silver deactivated Gravity and landed on the roof where he waited for his partner to return.

Fox and Velvet were surprised to learn their teammates vanished with the enemy. "Fox, do you see them?!" Velvet asked desperately.

He activated Ada to create a map of the area, covering a good majority of the kingdom. Fox did find Coco and Yatsuhashi. They were on the streets several blocks away, however, something else caught Fox's attention. The Ada was telling him there were four people on the roof, not two.

"Velvet! They're still here!" Fox shouted at his teammate using Telepathy.

He aimed his Sharp Retribution on the location of the enemy and was ready to fire, but Zelts appeared by his side. Zelts quickly grabbed him by his left shoulder and tossed him off the roof. Velvet was shocked to see her teammate get thrown and it left her open. Without warning, Velvet felt something hit her feet, sweeping her off balance and into the air. The next thing she felt was something solid slam into her gut, knocking the wind out of her as well as knocking her off the roof of the building. Violet deactivated her semblance, standing where Velvet once stood. Neither academy students were harmed as they recomposed themselves after being knocked off and landed safely in the streets where the city guard began to gather around them and the building.

Remus reappeared next to Silver then they jumped to the roof Zelts and Violet then he used Checkpoint to take them away from the small army growing below them. The Blue Flicker could hear the people below wondering what they were doing next, the guards preparing to enter the building and Team CVFY planning their next move, but most importantly, he could see the edge of the kingdom, specifically Clair's airship. He used Checkpoint to teleport himself and his teammates to that location, leaving the forces of the kingdom in frustrated bewilderment.

 **Several Minutes Earlier**

 **Setting: Theodore's Office**

The headmaster was told of the predicament and how his forces were searching every corner of the kingdom for VRSZ. It was frustrating to wait, but Prof. Theodore knew it was only a matter of time. He looked over to see Clair true to her word about doing nothing to help her allies. She had truly forsaken them. Did she?

"If you have an idea on how to capture VRSZ, I would love to hear it. After all, you are no longer friends with them, correct?" Theodore asked Clair, waiting to hear her response.

She looked up from her scroll to peek a glance at him then returned to her scroll. "I think I have an idea… or a good guess."

"I'll take whatever I can."

"The members that infiltrated the kingdom, Violet and Silver, they are aware that I am here trying to negotiate with you. As smart as Violet is, I'd think she would commandeer my airship for her team," Clair assessed correctly.

Theodore silently agreed by nodding his head. He grabbed his scroll and called for a few guards to patrol Clair's airship and he requested a team of academy students to be there as well. He needed them to face VRSZ for a high chance of success.

 **Setting: Clair's Airship**

The location Remus teleported the others was the border of the kingdom where Clair's airship was located where the encountered three squadrons of the kingdom's Huntsmen guard around the vehicle. Their abrupt arrival alerted the guards as they armed themselves for a fight.

Silver scratched his head before bringing out his guns. "This is going to take a-" His words were dashed as Violet rushed into the fray.

"I'll distract them! Get the others on board and go!" she shouted before using Invisibility and rushing headlong into the enemy forces.

"What is she doing?" Zelts wondered aloud. Silver was just as confused as he was. Remus looked on with a serious expression and his only eye.

The guards watched Violet vanished and were prepared to form a counter-attack. There were a total of eighteen Huntsmen guards. She couldn't hope to defeat them all on her own, but she could hold them off until her boys got on the airship and flew away. This was her plan from the beginning and it was something she withheld from Silver. She came to the kingdom with the desire to see her boys free. Any sacrifice to make it happen was worth it.

Remus, Silver, Zelts. She would happily give her life for theirs.

She threw several Enigmas at the guards, but the ones she aimed for reacted and blocked her attacks with their weapons, showing they either knew her location despite her semblance or could anticipate her attacks. It didn't matter to her. She wanted their focus solely on her. Violet grabbed more Enigmas and threw them at the sand between the Huntsmen's feet. The knives had gravity dust in the hilt and they activated, drawing in all the guards on their location, keeping them immobilized. Violet grabbed her kukris to engage them in close combat and fight until she was the center of their attention.

The third dust slot in her kukris was filled with gravity dust and she activated them before she drew near the enemy. With the ability to alter her gravity, like Silver's semblance, but to a lesser extent, Violet wouldn't be affected by her gravity Enigmas. Still Invisible, Violet attacked the closest guard to her, slashing them across the chest. then entered the heart of the enemy where she began striking as many of them as she could until four of them blocked her blades. She didn't know how they were aware of her attack pattern, but she figured there was no longer a point to using her semblance. She became visible to all of them in a flurry of tulip petals and she used the shock to land a few more good blows, cracking one in the chin with an elbow and kicking another behind the leg, forcing them down, then jumping over them.

In the air, Violet grabbed three of her throwing knives and threw them at the enemy; however, one of the guards had a weapon that released a powerful vortex of wind at her, blowing the knives away and hitting Violet who fell to the ground after the hit but quickly landed on her feet.

Another guard had a multi-missile launcher she fired, sending ten small missiles toward Violet. The Violent Flower took a huge step forward to avoid the first one that hit the ground and exploded in icy fashion, but the rest began to follow her movement. Guided ice missiles. That was a new one for Violet. She started running across the battlefield to avoid the missiles while several guards began fighting from a distance. Seven of them had guns to shoot her down while two were equipped with bows and arrows. The gravity dust keeping them there was messing with the trajectory of their weapons so the guards adapted and aimed a little higher to hit their target.

She was dodging bullets and arrows while trying to lose the missiles. One arrow grazed her backside and a few bullets hit her legs. Her aura protected her, but it slowed her down enough for a missile to hit her backside, covering it in ice. She stopped altogether and grabbed Enigmas from her bag holding five in each hand. Before any more projectiles could hit her, she slammed her hands and knives into the ground and stone pillars about twelve feet tall erupted from the knives. The earthen barriers protected her from the arrows and bullets coming her way while the other took the impact of every ice missile with ice cover the entire pillar. Violet stayed behind the pillars to get some cover while the Gravity dust binding the guards finally wore off.

Violet knew the gravity pinning them wore off because she counted the minutes in her head. She pulled out two vials of lightning dust. She swiftly placed them in the fourth slot of her kukris. She was ready to go down fighting.

 _"Good, they're coming to me. I hope the others got away. I was running so much and there was so much commotion, I didn't have a chance to see if they flew away. All those sounds made it hard to hear an engine… do I have time to check...either way, I'll see in a moment. Live well, everyone. I love you all,"_ Violet thought fondly.

The pillar covered in ice began to crumble from its frailty but it didn't disturb the peace of mind she acquired. It fell apart and she didn't budge. Her eyes were closed as she thought of her team, her family. None of the icy stones fell upon her and a smile crept on her face. It was a fondness that was swiftly replaced with an intense hardened expression.

Violet rose to her feet and moved from her position, charging into the enemy ranks once more. A few of the Huntsmen guards were on the ground and others were locked in combat. Violet was devastated by what she saw. Remus was penetrating the enemy's formation with his speed, dashing sprinting through too fast for them to properly react and kicking them or slamming them with his palms. Silver was shooting them from a distance using lightning bullets to electrocute and paralyze them. He used Remus's aggressive tactics to exploit openings in their defenses. Zelts made use of both his comrades and moved in to fight the enemy close range. Even without a weapon, he and Remus were giving it their all. He got into a tussle with the guard equipped with the multi-missile launcher. He was trying to take the weapon for himself but the woman was holding her own though she was losing ground in physical might. A group of three were coming to help their friend, but Remus ran by and blitz through all of them, including the one holding the weapon. Zelts had for himself and he fired the missiles from the salvo. The missiles hit several of the guards and freezing them in place.

The Violent Flower was devastated at what she saw. Here she was, willing to sacrifice herself to save them. It was the plan she had all along, and now, these guys were ruining it. Coming to her rescue to make sure they all get out of here safely. Not that long ago, she was held captive by her family and she had to sit by while her boys came to save her. Today was supposed to be the day she returned the favor, but no. She was the damsel in distress, something she hated being more than anything. Violet found it insulting to play this role a second time, but at the same time, she couldn't help the tears from welling up in her eyes.

From the bottom of her heart, Violet was overjoyed. _"What the hell am I going to do with all of you? ...Shit, I don't know whether to be happy or mad right now! One thing's clear, I can't let them save me again. I'll lose face,"_

The Violent Flower, spirit lifted and mind at ease rushed into battle with a smile that seemed out of place in the middle of battle. As the group hit by the ice missiles were temporarily out of commission, VRSZ focused on the remaining fighters. Remus ran in to kick someone in the face and they had their polearm ready to defend themselves. He kicked the weapon, pushing the Huntsman back across the battlefield who withstood the kick. The guard smirked in triumph, but it was short-lived as Violet entered the scene, kicking him in the face, the same place Remus intended to strike. Her surprise was not something Remus expected, but he was happy to see her. She gripped her kukris and Remus reached for his sword. The Cloak and Dagger duo slash at the Huntsmen at the same time, breaking through the last of his aura and slicing into his chest and arms. He fell to the ground, too wounded to continue.

With revived vigor, Violet asked Remus for a quick favor and he complied. They grabbed each other's arms and teleported away. Zelts was firing the last of the ice missiles to fend off four of the guards, but they were able to avoid or block them to remain unharmed. He was out of ammo and back to fighting with his bare hands. As one of the guards was going to shoot an arrow, he and his whole team were engulfed in blue fog, surprising Zelts but he smirked. Nothing could be seen from outside the smoke, but all that could be heard was the sound of painful moans. When the smoke cleared, the four guards were knocked out on the floor with Violet and Remus standing victorious.

Without Heart of Gold, Zelts lacked versatility, but he had another weapon in his arsenal. Violet tossed several of her Enigmas at him and he used Conversion to drain all the dust out of them. His eyes shined gold, the sign of a full-powered Conversion. With his physical strength augmented to the max, Zelts rushed into the fray against the other Huntsmen to finish them off. Remus joined as well, overwhelming the enemy with insane strength and unreal speed. That bout was destined to end in their victory, so Violet went to rendezvous with Silver. The gunslinger finished freezing the last Huntsman confronting him. He fought off several of the guards and felt winded, but was more relieved that the battle was over.

"Silver!" he heard Violet call out to him from a distance. She was making her way to his location. "Get the airship started! We'll grab the others!"

"I'm on it!" Silver responded as he dashed to the airship.

Team VRSZ was finally home-free as Remus and Zelts's combined efforts defeated the last of the Huntsmen guard. They were finally going to escape the kingdom and make it back home. Until an enormous wall of stone erupted from the sand in front of the airship, towering over the vehicle and blocking it from sight. Silver stopped in his tracks when this happened. Violet did as well, but hers was only momentary as she pressed forward with the desire to fight.

 _"Finally! They're here!"_

Around Silver. a force field appeared, surrounding his body and imprisoning him in a small sphere. Approaching him from his left was Loden with World Splitter in her hands, ready to attack. She swung at Silver and the force field disappeared at the last second, leaving him no room to dodge or counter attack. He was struck in the left arm and most of his body by the blade of World-Splitter and Loden's crazy strength in her swing sent Silver flying. His aura took a massive hit and he soared through the air then crashed into the sand.

Seeing her teammate assaulted didn't slow Violet down as she continued her path to the airship, however, something strange caught her eye. It was Team CLSH. The only ones present were Loden and Cerise who walked onto the scene. Sapphire and Hazel weren't around except for two of Hazel's Hive drones.

 _"What are they plotting?"_ Violet wondered, keeping an eye out for any tricks.

Loden prepared herself to fend off Violet with Cerise's help but her efforts were quickly thwarted when Remus teleported to her and used Checkpoint whisk her to where Zelts was. Violet found this to be unexpected, but that was Remus's semblance for you. It always left people guessing. Now, she could focus on fighting Cerise with no interruptions.

The leader of Team CLSH and the leader of Team VRSZ stared each other down. Once friends, now enemies, Cerise and Violet prepare to fight until the other couldn't.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

The battle going on just outside the kingdom was being broadcast and seen on all screens. All the residents watched in anticipation. They had no idea what was going to happen next as everyone waited in silence. Even with the recent incident, no worry or fear was coursing through their minds. The screen was on Violet and people could see the leader of VRSZ in full view. One characteristic the people noticed was the numerous scars decorating her body.

The same couldn't be said for Prof. Theodore who watched with great confusion. Clair looked on as well, but she was peeking glances at the headmaster whose face changed every few seconds as this matter continued. She felt like she was no longer a priority in his mind and more of a bystander.

 _"I don't even know what's going on anymore. Why is this being displayed? We don't have any cameras that far out of the kingdom!"_ he thought frantically. _"Where are the rest of the guards? And where's the rest of CLSH?!"_

Clair did not console him. She just watched the battle unfold like the rest of the kingdom. Outside his office, Ebony began walking away with Zinnia by her side. Blood and Azura observed her, but she did nothing to provoke any action. She wanted to see what was going on herself. It was getting a little chaotic and she'd like to find a screen to view the situation.

 **Setting: Clair's Airship**

Silver finally came to and scanned the area to get a grasp of the situation. He found Violet and Cerise squaring off then he saw Remus and Zelts trying to fight Loden. The latter required his attention more than the former. Without their weapons, Remus and Zelts couldn't do much against her and World Splitter. Silver decided to aid them, leaving Violet to battle Cerise.

There were no words that needed to be said between Violet and Cerise. Their intentions were clear and neither tried to dissuade the other. Violet told herself over and over again that she was going to take Cerise down without mercy and Cerise was going to protect her kingdom from anyone who would trouble it.

Violet made the first move, running to her right and grabbing as many Enigmas as she could hold, then vanished using Invisibility. Cerise pulled out a Runaway and was ready to take action. She looked at the sand to look for footprints and attentively listened for anything out of the ordinary. She heard something land in the sand near her like a large raindrop. More of this occurred around her as Cerise used Shields to create a spherical force field around herself then expanded it. As the force field increased in size, bursts of fire, jolts of lightning, and spires of ice went off around her. Just as Cerise thought, Violet used Flower Garden.

After protecting herself, Cerise disengaged her semblance. The force field broke down and she suddenly felt herself get hit in the shoulder followed by a small explosion engulfing her arm and head. In the air, Violet reappeared with her kukris and pounced on Cerise. She delivered a downward slash but hit a small force field wall and the force of her attack bounced right back at her, forcing her to flinch a bit. Cerise kicked Violet in the chest and swung to arm at her, but Violet blocked it with her arm and grabbed Cerise's arm. She intended to fight in close-quarters, but Cerise opened her captured hand, revealing a cherry bomb. There was no time for Violet to avoid this point-blank explosion.

The bomb went off and the explosion covered the area. Violet was blown back and fell into the sand. Cerise remained standing where she was. A thin layer of her force field coated her body, protecting her from her attack. She grabbed four Runaways and threw them at Violet's location. Falling around her, two of the bombs went off, releasing blinding light. Violet covered her eyes with her arms and ran forward, but crashed into a wall. Just like their last encounter, a force field was created around Violet, imprisoning her with the other two bombs that were about to go off. The Runaways went off and what came next was fire filling the entire force field.

Cerise dispersed the shield when she saw no sign of movement. Smoke consumed the area but it vanished, revealing Violet's body lying on the ground, but she noticed something wrong with it. Violet's body was partially covered in ice. She slowly got up as the ice broke apart, showing she able to mitigate the damage by letting the ice take most of the explosion. Still, she was badly hurt.

The people of the kingdom watched on as the battle continued. They were all enthralled as the fight seemed to be reaching the end. Whatever was broadcasting the battle was moving throughout the area, getting every angle. Prof. Theodore didn't know what was going on. The kingdom didn't have anything capable of that.

Violet turned to Cerise then vanished from sight. Cerise decided to move around instead of remaining a sitting duck. She ran to her right and scanned the area for any hint of Violet's location. She found nothing but heard the Enigmas pierce into the sand in front of her and she stopped in her tracks to avoid stepping on them. Immediately after stopping, Cerise heard an explosion go off above her and she looked up. The stone wall Loden created earlier was attacked and pieces of it were falling where she was. Cerise moved out of the way but was pulled back by something tugging her arm then felt herself get assaulted by unseen blows all over her body. She was overwhelmed by Violet's invisible assault as well as worried over the debris that was about to fall on her.

The Violent Flower kneed Cerise in her side, but it was protected by a force field membrane that surrounded her body. She was protected by her semblance yet again, but Violet responded by grabbing her kukri and using the ice dust within it to cover it and her entire right arm in ice, forming a large bludgeoning weapon like a ram. Violet reeled her frosty fist back and punched Cerise as hard as she could with the ice club, hitting the side of her head. Shields protected Cerise from serious damage, but the force of the hit was still felt as her head was knocked by. The force Violet applied to the force field was reflected at her, breaking the ice club and whittling her aura down. Cerise's aura was reaching the end as her force field was beginning to break apart. The large stones falling from above were going to crush them, but Cerise used the last of her aura to expanded her feeble force field, creating a makeshift umbrella to protect herself and Violet from the debris as the stones fell around them.

She reached her limit. Cerise had no aura left. The force field she formed broke apart like glass. She was tired after putting in so much effort in this fight, but she was given no reprieve as Violet grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the stone wall. She could hardly breathe as she felt the hand around her neck tighten. Violet had Cerise pinned with one hand and had her kukri in the other. She was ready to finish the job.

 _"No matter what it takes!"_ Violet thought. The hand holding the knife began to tremble. Her arms felt heavier. The battle in the kingdom took its toll on her.

" _No matter what it takes,"_ Inhaling and exhaling, Violet readied herself physically to get rid of the last obstacle in her way. That's all CLSH was to her now.

 _"No matter…"_

Loden was still fighting the rest of VRSZ, but she couldn't match three of their members by herself. She was losing ground and needed assistance. Turning to Cerise to see if her leader could help, Loden found the predicament they were in and was shocked. So shocked that she let go of World Splitter and just stared. Around her were stone walls, pillars, and many other stone structures. Remus, Silver, and Zelts were tired as well and about maneuvering around the stone obstructions to find Loden looking away. Following her gaze, each of them found Violet and Cerise about what was going on between them was what stopped them from doing anything.

The video being shown to the kingdom was also on Violet and Cerise. No one knew how to react properly, but many faces softened while eyebrows were raised. Even Prof. Theodore was speechless. All his worry temporarily vanished. Clair looked on with a saddened, empathetic face.

Cerise had her eyes shut as she waited for the finishing blow, but it never came. Tempting fate, she opened her left eye to see what was happening. What she saw made Cerise open her other eye and look on in astonishment. Violet dropped her kukri and her eyes were filled with tears. Pain and sorrow were written all over her face.

"I can't do it," she said in a hushed tone, but Cerise could still hear here. Her voice began to crack. "I can't do it. I can't do this to you. I told myself over and over again that I had to take you down, that you were my enemy… I said no matter what it takes, I'm going to stop you, but I can't look at you that way. How can I? After everything we've been through?"

Cerise was at a lost. The people of Vacuo listened to Violet's words as well. Loden and the boys were the only ones out of earshot, but they stopped fighting to see what happens next. Violet was letting her emotions take the reins as she spilled her heart out to Cerise.

"Even after our fight over Grayson, when you took my boys, and even now, I can't think of you or the others as my enemies. You, Loden, Sapphire, and Hazel. Each one of you is precious to me. I tried to be heartless, but not against you. Even when we were fighting, my heart was breaking. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. For everything."

"..." Cerise didn't know what to say. All she could do was listen.

"I desperately want things to go back to the way they were, but that's a dream that has died long ago. Cerise, it's okay if you and the others hate us after everything we did. It's fine. Just know that no matter what happens between us, I...we will always see you as our friends…"

Violet formed a small smile while tears decorated her face. She did not look good with red eyes and a puffy face with tears still falling, but she didn't care. She let out her true feelings and that was enough. _"How long has it been since I cried? I've gotten too used to being angry all the time,"_

Violet walked away and Cerise brought her hand to her throat, realizing she wasn't being choked.

 _"When did she…"_ she thought but didn't dwell on it. She watched Violet moved along the stone wall to reach the airship and Cerise had no desire to pursue her. All the animosity and frustration she held onto vanished in that interaction. She walked away from the battlefield.

Loden, seeing her leader leave, followed her lead and left. She didn't know what was said, but she could read the room. The battle was over. Remus and the others were a little confused though none of them complained. They began to follow Violet to the airship.

The Violent Flower was no more. That moniker didn't fit Violet anymore.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

The emotional display was seen and heard by everyone in the kingdom and it shined a new light on Team VRSZ. It was hard for anyone to believe they were a group of vigilantes who only lived for themselves. That image was destroyed in that battle. Many people in the kingdom no longer saw VRSZ as the bad guys.

What was left for Prof. Theodore to do? VRSZ was getting away, but it was too late to stop them now that CLSH was retreating. Not to mention attacking them now would put the kingdom in an even worse situation with the populace. The man felt like his hands were tied.

Clair took a deep breath after hearing Violet's short speech. The pain in Violet's heart pierced her soul and Clair was relieved she found some inner peace. A few moments later, Clair heard her scroll go off. She checked it and looked rather surprised. She got out of her chair and walked to Theodore's desk. He noticed her movements and watched her place her scroll on his desk, specifically on his display platform that allowed him access to all the screens in the kingdom.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Hopefully something that can shine some light on everything," Clair answered as she pressed a button.

* * *

 **This was one of the longest chapters I ever had to write. A lot needed to be done and it took much longer than I thought to do it but I pushed through.**


	46. Carabosse's Revenge

**A/N: I don't own any of the characters associated with RWBY. All rights belong to Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

Clair de Lune Vantablack arrived in the kingdom to offer terms of peace in exchange for the recovery of Remus and Zelts. After landing with Blood and Clair, they were met with the kingdom's forces and Professor Theodore shortly after. As the professor escorted Clair's retinue into the kingdom, he had his forces thoroughly inspect her airship for anything or anyone suspicious only to find nothing. After the guards vacated the airship and returned to the kingdom, two figures phased through the outer wall of the airship and landed in the sand. The duo was Ghost and Bianca.

"They certainly took their sweet time," Ghost complained as he stretched his limbs. "Hiding from all of them wasn't easy."

"I think I've gotten used to your semblance. Now I don't flinch when I run straight through a wall. However, that's not important. Are they gone?" Bianca asked her brother.

He peeked over the wall of the airship to see what the guards were doing and found them returning to the kingdom. None of them were looking back at the airship. "Looks like we're in the clear."

"Good. The mission starts now," Bianca told her brother.

The sibling duo stealthily moved around the border of the kingdom to find their destination.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Sneaking around the airship, out of plain sight, Ghost grabbed his sister's hand then used Spectre to make himself and Bianca intangible. The two of them phased through the exterior and entered the hanger of the airship.

Neither of them said a word. Bianca brought her hand and signaled Ghost to proceed with caution and kept out of sight. They ascended to the upper level of Ebony's airship with no difficulties.

Brenton holed himself up in the cockpit. It was his preferred place to nest when there was nothing to do. He was waiting for the others to return, but the boredom was getting to him. The King of Flames rose from his seat and left the room.

Ghost and Bianca were in the common area where they tried to fulfill the mission given to them. Bianca found nothing out of the ordinary in the kitchen area while Ghost looked around the living area.

"Nothing on my end. Any luck?" Bianca asked.

Sighing lightly, Ghost shook his head.

In the middle of their infiltration, Bianca heard the sound of footsteps echoing through the hall connected to the common area. Brenton was on his way. He entered the common area and walked into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he got a bottle of sparkling water and drank from it. The common area was quiet and the lack of another's presence made Brenton feel pretty lonely without his compatriots around.

"I almost miss Ebony's constant flirting… On second thought, I don't," he thought.

A stroll to the living area and Brenton dropped onto the couch where he drank the rest of his water and stared out the large window.

Outside the airship, beside the large window of the common area, was Ghost and Bianca. The former had his hands and feet on the wall of the airship and used the claws on Purgatory to pierce the metal and hold himself and his sister in place. Bianca was holding onto Ghost by wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist.

It was clear Brenton didn't notice them, so the siblings proceeded with their mission. Ghost crawled further away from the window then phased back into the airship, landing in a hallway further away from Brenton's location. The hallway was long and there were many doors on each side. Bianca signaled for Ghost to inspect each one. He phased his head through the wall and had his eye poke out to see what was on the other side.

The only rooms Ghost found were bedrooms and rooms filled with cargo. He told his sister to enter when there was no sign of life and they searched every corner. There was nothing particular inside these rooms until they encountered a room holding Delta and Heart of Gold. Bianca planned to grab those once this was over, but for the time being, she and her brother continued with their mission.

Ghost came upon a room and peeked his head through to see what was inside. He was expecting it to be another empty room, but he was shaken when he found a bedroom with a massive robot standing in the middle of it. Ghost didn't say anything and he slowly retreated his head without the robot noticing. His eyes were wide and he bit his lower lip, comprehending what he just saw. Bianca noticed and tapped his shoulder. He shook his head. It was the sign for no go. The room had an enemy inside.

Bianca took out her scroll and sent a message to her brother. With their scrolls on silent, the two were able to communicate during stealth missions.

 _Bianca: What's the problem?_

 _Ghost: There's a giant robot in the room! I'm not going in there!" Ghost responded._

 _Bianca: Did you see anything else in there?"_

 _Ghost: Couldn't tell. Too busy not trying to scream!_

 _Bianca: Quit being a baby. If there's stuff in that room, then that robot is guarding it, right? It must be important. Can you slip in without being noticed?_

 _Ghost: ..._

 _Bianca: Don't text me three dots. Can you do it or not?_

 _Ghost: I don't want to ruin the mission if I fail._

He lifted his head for a moment then went back to texting.

 _Ghost: Actually, I have an idea. Give me a minute and stay out of sight._

Brenton was resting on the couch. Staring at the clear blue sky made him drowsy and he fell asleep. Emerging from the wall was Ghost who stood before the sleepy reptile faunus. Using Spectre, he entered Brenton's body.

Monochrome simply stood inside Ebony's bedroom in standby mode. It was taken off this form and fully activated when it heard the bedroom door being opened. On the other side of the door was Brenton who stared at the robot. Monochrome was programmed to recognize Brenton as an ally, so it simply stared back at him.

"Come with me," Brenton said as he walked away. Monochrome did as commanded and followed him out of the room. Brenton silently led the robot to the common area.

With the two of them walking away, Bianca emerged from another room and walked into Ebony's bedroom. "That thing had to be guarding something important…" She found papers and documents on Ebony's desk and a few more in a pile nearby. Her search started there.

Brenton was in the common area with Monochrome who kept its gaze on the lizard faunus. The King of Flames simply looked back at him in an uncomfortable fashion. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing now?" Ghost wondered. "Hurry up, Bianca!"

Bianca scrummaged through paper after paper. Based on what she has read so far, these were documents written by Carabosse some time ago. They contained her thoughts on chaos and the domino effect tragedies caused, something Bianca didn't care for. However, she did find one document that caught her eye. She began to read it thoroughly and her eyes grew so wide it looked like they would fall out of their sockets.

"We got her!"

Brenton stood in the common area with Monochrome. Ghost was sure the robot had no mind of its own as it didn't question Brenton's weird behavior. All he needed to do was stall until Bianca was done. His wish was answered when he found Bianca in the doorway of the common area. She was signaling she was ready. The mission was a success.

Ghost, possessing Brenton's body returned it to its original position on the couch then he phased out of him, going through his body, through the couch, and the floor going back to the cargo hold where he waited for his sister. Monochrome was still following Brenton's order to follow him, so it remained by his side as he slept.

"What did you find?" Ghost asked Bianca as she reached his location.

"The ammunition Clair needs to-" Bianca's was interrupted by the sound of the cargo hold's door opening. Someone was coming.

Ghost grabbed his sister and phased themselves through the wall where they landed in the sand. They were outside the airship as Ebony and Zinnia entered with Clair, Blood, and Azura.

"That was too close," Ghost said relieved.

"It's too soon for us to blow our cover." Bianca looked at the distance between the airship and the kingdom. "With so many people in the airship, they're bound to see us moving from here to the kingdom. Let's wait until they're done. Just make sure we grab the weapons."

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

Three chess games took place before Clair and Ebony left for the kingdom with their respective retinues, leaving Brenton and Monochrome in the airship. There were fewer eyes around their location so Bianca and Ghost left the airship and entered the kingdom. It was the first time either Ghost or Bianca was in the kingdom of Vacuo, but they didn't have time to take in their surroundings. They had a job that needed to be done and their next objective took them to the heart of the kingdom, Shade Academy.

Blending into the crowd presented no difficulty for the siblings. Refugees came from every corner of the nation, so there was no distinct way to tell who was an enemy or not. The melding of many different people made infiltration incredibly easy. This statement was made clear when Bianca and Ghost heard the guards stampeding through the city with citizens wondering what was going on. The learned Team VRSZ was escaping the prison. Neither of them got distracted and kept the mission ahead of everything else, making their way into Shade Academy.

The advantage of VRSZ's prison break is the attention it took from all the guards. No one was keeping a close eye on the academy. They literally walked into the Academy and started searching for the CCT. Their exploration took them to many different parts of the Academy and they encountered some familiar faces. Team SSSN was rushed past them in a hallway to capture Team VRSZ and Team CFVY followed a few minutes later. Fortunately, neither team knew of their involvement with VRSZ. However, the same couldn't be said about the third team that was making their way to fight VRSZ, Team CLSH.

This was certainly awkward. The CCT wasn't far away. It was just down the hall, but the first obstacle Ghost and Bianca had to face was their old friends and Ghost's old flame. Sapphire was surprised to see him, but her teammates found their appearance too suspicious and too perfect. It only took a few seconds for Sapphire to connect the dots. She looked at Ghost, her eyes hurt and pleading.

"Get out of here now before it's too late," she warned them.

Ghost sighed. He really wished to avoid running into her, but when was luck ever on his side. "We don't want any trouble. Just let us through."

"Not going to happen," Loden answered as she drew World Splitter.

Hazel responded by releasing her drones from the Hive. She now possessed five wasp drones instead of three and they all had their stingers aimed at them.

 _"This team needs to stop updating…"_ Ghost groaned internally.

Bianca stepped forward and grabbed her guns. Loden and Sapphire responded by getting ready for a brawl but were surprised to see her place her Archangels on the ground and raise her hands over her head. "We're not here to pick a fight with anyone. My brother and I have information that can save the kingdom from disaster. We just need to broadcast it for everyone to hear. Can you help us?"

Cerise kept her gaze on Bianca. Her eyes flicked to her guns on the floor then toward Ghost who stood behind his sister. Bianca knew what she wanted. "Ghost. Disarm."

Through a few grunts, he complied. He took off Purgatory and placed it on the ground with Archangels. Cerise changed her face to a less serious mood. "What's so important that you have to tell the entire kingdom?" she asked.

Ghost slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the folded paper with Carabosse's writing. He handed it to Cerise. She silently read through the paper and shock was her face after finishing. She looked to the sibling duo in disbelief before recomposing herself.

"How do I know these aren't fake?"

"I suppose you don't," Bianca answered. "They are the written words of a dead woman, but if it is real, the kingdom will rot from within. Despite our view of the kingdom, we don't want that to happen."

"...Are… Is Clair still working with Team VRSZ? Is this all part of a giant scheme?" Cerise asked.

"No," Ghost answered. "Violet and Silver didn't want any part of this."

The other members of Team CLSH were curious about what their leader saw. Cerise folded the paper and handed it to Hazel. "Go with them to the CCT control room. Use your drones to hack the system and connect it to your Hive. If the content on those papers is true, we have to protect the kingdom," Cerise told Hazel then turned to Sapphire. But take their weapons. If they do anything besides what they said they came here to do, arrest them."

"Sure…" Sapphire answered, looking at Ghost and Bianca, specifically Ghost. This was not how she wanted to reunite with him. She felt unease more than happy.

"Loden, you're with me. VRSZ isn't fighting at full capacity so we should be more than enough to hold them down," Cerise told Loden before she started walking to Bianca. "This better not be some hoax," she said before walking away.

CLSH was dividing into two teams to tackle both issues. Hazel commanded two of her drones to accompany Cerise and Loden. She would have eyes on the battlefield just in case something went wrong. Ghost and Bianca went with Sapphire and Hazel to the CCT.

"You look great…" Ghost said quietly to Sapphire before walking behind her. They were three simple words, but hearing him say it to her again sent her heart aflutter. She missed him.

The control room of the CCT was massive with different areas serving different purposes. There were monitors and keyboards controlling what got displayed on the screens around the kingdom. This was the area Bianca and Ghost needed to be.

"Can you-" Ghost was about to ask for Sapphire and Hazel's assistance until Hazel had one of her drones fly to the main computer of the area. It used its stinger as a USB to enter the system and began to hack into it. Her drone gained full access to the system, controlling what screens displayed what and what was displayed. "Wow," Ghost said, watching Hazel take control of the CCT with little effort.

Bianca sat in front of a computer and began typing exactly what was written on Carabosse's papers. She needed to get all the fine points across. Sapphire stood by her to make sure no funny business was going on, however, her eyes landed on Ghost every now and then.

"He really misses you," Bianca said as she typed away. "...Just thought you should know that."

Sapphire looked at Bianca type when she said that before looking at Ghost. Deep inside, she was overjoyed Ghost missed her and more importantly, he felt the same way she did. No matter the outcome of this situation, Sapphire was happy to see him again.

Hazel felt her Hive activate a silent siren and she pulled out her scroll. "The drones are on the battlefield,"

She used her scroll to turn on the shared viewing each of her drones had then turned on the streaming application so she and the others could view the fight on screen. When they monitor displayed the battle between her teammates and VRSZ. This feed was displayed on every monitor in the kingdom and everyone could see it.

It took Bianca some time, but she finished summarizing Carabosse's notes. She was ready to send the contents to Clair, but she halted her actions when she looked around her and noticed the others were fixated on the monitors. Bianca looked at what they were looking at and found Violet pinning Cerise to the wall with tears in her eyes. With her attention on the battle, Bianca listened as Violet revealed her true feelings to Cerise. It was heart-wrenching to see so much pain on her friend's face. She had never seen Violet cry before. None of them have. She has always kept a composed air about herself when she was in their presence. It was like everyone in the control was seeing a whole new person. The sorrow in her eyes and the pain in her voice made everyone's heart sink. Once Violet released her grip on Cerise and walked away, Bianca fell out of her trance and compiled her work into a message. She sent it to Clair and fell back in her chair in relief.

Their mission was a success.

 **Setting: Theodore's Office**

The end of the battle brought a stillness to the kingdom. VRSZ was leaving and CLSH was withdrawing with no clear winner. It didn't end the way anyone thought it would, so it brought up a question. What was supposed to happen next?

The next move was done by Clair once she received Bianca's message and read the contents. Her face didn't change greatly when she read it. There was a small flicker in her eyes, but it died down very quickly. She walked toward Theodore's desk and placed her scroll on his platform that gave him access and control of the screens in the kingdom. Her movements didn't go unnoticed by the headmaster of Shade Academy.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Hopefully something that can shine some light on everything," Clair answered as she pressed a button.

All the screens in the kingdom changed from displaying the fight to written words. The citizens were confused and muttering to themselves about what was going on. Theodore looked at what was written and began reading. After getting through a few lines, he widened his eyes and looked at Clair in disbelief.

"This is…" he said. His voice was getting through on the monitor so everyone in the kingdom could hear him and what was going on in his office.

"Yes. It's shocking, but it's the truth. I'm sorry, but I had my people do some sleuthing while we were busy and this is what we found. These are the notes of my aunt Carabosse-"

The mention of Carabosse made Ebony stop in her tracks. She was outside Shade Academy with Zinnia to get a better look at the battle. She stared at the screen with a concerned look. Zinnia watched her liege slightly astounded. She had never seen Ebony show this much concern about anything. She always bounced back from unexpected turns, but this was different. A worried Ebony made her worry.

Ebony said nothing as she watched what was unfolding. Her heart began pounding so hard and fast it felt like it would burst out of her chest and the droplets of sweat formed on her head.

"Carabosse was a woman who liked sowing chaos to see the after-effects. She basically enjoyed looking at the domino effect of disasters and tragedies. She was a relative of Ebony and myself, but she was also Ebony's mentor. However, their goals differed greatly. Ebony didn't share our aunt's lust for destruction. She wanted to be immortalized in history by any means necessary," Clair revealed to Theodore and the kingdom.

She kept going.

"The destruction of Fortuna was caused by Carabosse and it was here Ebony struck her down to put her own plan to fruition. She manipulated countless scenarios to bring herself further to her goals and she was able to do so with the use of her semblance, Charm."

There it was. Ebony knew what this meant. For the first time in a long time, she didn't know what to do next. The revelation of her semblance was something she wanted to avoid. It was her greatest secret. Zinnia knew this well because she was the only other person Ebony shared this information with. It displayed the deep trust between them, but now it was being shared with everyone.

 _"Stop. Enough,"_ Zinnia thought as she gritted her teeth.

"Charm is a terrifying semblance that allows Ebony to manipulate the people through her words. She can influence the minds of others by speaking to them, making them do what she wants. And what makes this even more dangerous is the person under her spell has no idea they were being manipulated. Any action she has them do, they believe it was done of their own free will. She can have you do or believe anything and think you thought of it."

Professor Theodore thought back to all the times he and Ebony spoke and how most of their conversations ended in her favor. Was it all because of her Charm? He didn't know anymore, but he knew he couldn't trust the Charming Vantablack.

"Unfortunately, Charm has only one weakness, but it's a weakness anyone can exploit. As long as you are actively aware of her semblance, it can't influence you."

Ebony began walking away with Zinnia by her side. It was dangerous for her to stay in the kingdom.

"Through her semblance, Ebony has managed to turn the kingdom against Nexus and manipulate events to her liking. Everything that has happened between the kingdom and Nexus has been because of her. All so she can be hailed as a hero in Vacuo's history," Clair ended her revelation there and looked to Professor Theodore.

"That is all I wanted to reveal. I was just as surprised as you about her semblance, but now we can be better prepared to handle it and her." Clair excused herself from his office, grabbing her scroll and leaving while Theodore contemplated everything.

The denizens of the kingdom were in a slight upheaval. A great deal of them looked up to Ebony as an amazing public figure and diplomat, but for all of that to be a lie was a damaging blow. How much of what she has done been a lie? No one could answer that.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

With no warning, Ebny's airship took off, leaving the kingdom behind and going who knows where. Brenton flew the vehicle, following Ebony's order. He asked why and she said she'll tell him once they get further away. Zinnia was outside Ebony's bedroom where she knocked on the door but didn't receive an answer.

Monochrome was standing inside Ebony's bedroom while she sat on her bed, setting fire to all of Carabosse's documents, putting them in a box and burning the items used against her.

 _"I should've gotten rid of these earlier… This is all on me. Carabosse must be dancing in her grave right now,"_

"Clair... Well done. I don't know how you did it yet, but you single-handedly destroyed my plans," she said with an impressed smirk, but it faded away quickly. Her expression changed to something unreadable. What she was thinking was unknown to everyone but her.

"Time for a new plan."

 **Setting: Clair's Airship**

The Lady of Nexus and her crew found no difficulty traversing through the kingdom after exposing Ebony's secret. None of the guards tried to take them back to Professor Theodore so they made their way back to their vehicle which was right where they left it.

Blood, Azura, and Clair were met with Bianca and Ghost at the entrance. Clair looked at both siblings and grinned. "Good work you two. This couldn't have been possible without you guys."

"Think nothing of it," Bianca said formally.

"I'm glad to stick it to that- Uh… I don't know if it's alright to insult your family…" Ghost admitted as he held his tongue.

"Let's not dwell on it and head home. It's been a long day," Clair said as she walked into her vehicle with the others in tow. Blood patted Ghost on the back for a job well done and Azura congratulated Bianca while also telling her how she wanted to deck Ebony.

Boarding the airship, Clair felt triumphant as she and her Enforcers were ready to make their way home. Everyone entered the common area where they were met by Team VRSZ. Each one of them was slumped on a chair or on the floor. Silver and Remus were on the floor with Remus keeping his hand over his empty eye socket. Zelts laid on the couch, taking up the entire space while Violet sat on the arm, hand covering her face. Clair's party said nothing and just watched them.

Zelts was the first to notice and he nudged Violet's arm to get her attention. He also kicked Silver, more harshly than he wanted, to get him and Remus up. Violet removed her hand from her face and her eyes were still red, but she kept a more stern look when she met Clair's gaze.

No one said or did anything for an entire minute until Clair approached VRSZ, specifically Violet, walking toward her until she stood right in front of her. Neither said anything and Clair wrapped her arms around Violet's shoulders, holding her in a tight embrace. Violet stood there quietly but she eventually held Clair. She sighed in relief.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all that," Clair comforted her best friend, patting her back. Violet didn't say anything and just held Clair.

"How did everything go?" Silver asked the others.

"All according to plan," Blood answered.

"Thanks for keeping the kingdom off our backs," Bianca thanked as she made her way to Silver.

Zelts and Remus were slightly confused. They weren't aware of any plan nor did they know Clair and the others were in the kingdom. "Are you guys all here for us?" Remus asked.

"Sorry, we...got out without you?" Zelts apologized, though he wasn't if he was supposed to.

Azura answered saying, "Actually, there are a lot of things we have to tell you guys. Just… not now. you guys need rest and I'm sure Violet and Silver can fill you in." She pushed Zelts back on the sofa so he could unwind. She proceeded to pick up Remus. "You need can rest in my room. And we'll do something about your eye."

"Wish you guys could do something about our weapons," Remus moaned.

"Stop bitching. They got it covered," Azura pointed to Ghost and Bianca who left the common area and came back with Delta and Heart of Gold. The smile on Remus's face was massive. All the hardships he went through vanished once he got a look at his weapon.

"You guys are the best…" he told Bianca and Ghost who smiled and nodded respectively.

Azura took Remus to her room to rest, Blood grabbed Silver and carried him to his room and Zelts remained on the left end of the couch. Violet and Clair finished hugging each other and the former looked calmer.

"Everything worked out as you planned," Violet told Clair.

"We couldn't have done it without you guys," Clair responded, wanting to share their victory.

"Tell me. What dirt did you find on Ebony? How did she react?" Violet asked.

"I'll tell you everything once we get home. A more relaxed setting is in order," Clair told her. She sat in the common area with Violet and Zelts.

Bianca took the helm of the airship and flew it to Nexus while Violet and Clair sat side by side, silently enjoying each other's company. They finally got a victory over Ebony Vantablack.

 **Setting: Nexus**

An hour passed since everyone returned home. Nothing else eventful happened for the rest of the day, but things were still done. Clair informed the council of her success. She did tell them that their relationship with the kingdom was in an unknown territory but felt the hostility vanished. Now, it was everyone's job to figure out what to do to move forward.

In the VRSZ household, Zelts was finishing the last of his packing. He was ready to leave and live with Lily in Vale, but the weight of leaving his family behind was too great. They've been through so much together. Zelts knew departing was going to be the hardest thing he could do. SIlver left their home to be with Bianca. He understood how Zelts felt and wanted to be with the person he wanted to share his life with.

Onyx's Workshop was the place Remus and Violet were. The Blue Flicker asked Onyx if he could build a new bionic eye for him. "Can you do it?"

"Yeah, I already have a prototype made. I... kinda started on it the first time you had me inspect yours. Give me a week. Maybe four or five days if I pull an all-nighter," Onyx told him. The young faunus sat at his desk in his laboratory where he had blueprints for multiple inventions. The teenage faunus was always hard at work.

"Really! That's great! Thanks, Onyx! How much do have to pay?" Remus beamed.

"The usual rate. If you want, you can pay extra for some more features. X-ray vision, ultraviolet, night vision, what about a laser beam?" Onyx asked, enticing Remus so he could flex his mechanical prowess.

"No thanks. Just the scope will be enough," Violet answered for Remus. She didn't want Remus to randomly blink and a laser beam blast out of his eye. And X-ray vision would be useful, but she had a bad feeling Silver or C.P. would misuse his eye somehow. Violet paid Onyx before leaving his workshop with Remus.

She told him everything that happened when he and Zelts were captured, mostly about how Clair came to her with a plan to save them and get the upper hand on Ebony. VRSZ served as a distraction to keep eyes of the Enforcers' covert operation. Simple but brilliant. Ebony losing her status in the kingdom was a great boon, but Violet was happier that Remus and Zelts were back.

Without warning, she got closer to Remus and kissed his cheek. He looked over to see what brought this on, but she kept walking like nothing happened, a small mischief smile and slight blush decorating her face. It didn't matter to him why she did it. He was just happy.

A chime went off and Violet grabbed her scroll. She received a message. Her face changed from delight to surprise when she saw the person who sent her the message.

 _Cerise: Can we talk?_

 _Violet's mouth was ajar, but the smile came back._

 _Violet: Sure_

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

The air was tense within the silent airship that was in the middle of the desert. There was little to no movement as the residence was occupied doing their own thing. No one wanted to be around each other after everything that happened, especially the King of Flames.

Brenton stayed in his room for the remainder of the day with a burning rage in his heart. After Ebony and Zinnia's return, Ebony informed him of all the events that transpired, including what her semblance could do. She preferred telling him over learning it from some other source. No doubt the kingdom would spread the word of her ability. He was not happy with this. He thought back to when he first met her and how she recruited him into her Champions.

"Did she use her semblance to make me do it? I don't know anymore, but… I can't trust her," he thought as he lay in his bed.

Zinnia was outside Ebony's bedroom door, waiting for the Vantablack to emerge. Monochrome was out there with her, standing attentively and staring at the wall in front of it. The machine made the situation uncomfortable, but Zinnia didn't care about the setting or her own well-being. She remained at the door for hours after Ebony dumped the ashes of Carabosse's work, the instruments responsible for ruining all of her plans.

"Go away," was the phrase Zinnia heard constantly on the other side, but they were orders she did not wish to follow. The Paragon remained by Ebony's door until her liege decides to resurface, listening to say go away for two hours before she stopped talking to her altogether.

Even if Ebony couldn't see her, Zinnia wanted her friend to know there was someone waiting to console her pain whenever she was ready.

Ebony laid in her bed while looking at her scroll, the only source of light in her room. She was receiving calls from Theodore ever since the fiasco in the kingdom. Already aware of what he wanted to talk about, she refused to answer. After a dozen ignored calls, the headmaster simply texted her a message:

 _Theodore: You are no longer welcomed in the kingdom of Vacuo._

That was putting it nicely. She wondered if he shortened his response because he was fed up with her not picking up his calls. Either way, it didn't matter to her now that her grand scheme crumbled beneath her feet. All she had left was her own thoughts.

"They say a person's semblance derives from the individual's true self. Clair, you can influence others with your voice, making them feel better or bring forth emotions and sensations they hardly ever feel. You are a supportive pillar to the people around you. My semblance allows me to manipulate people with words. What does that say about me? ...Augh. I hate having this same thought in my head. No matter how many years have past, I keep wondering why I have this semblance. Being invisible or teleporting to who knows where sounds pretty good right now,"

She turned off her scroll and her room was pitch black save for the shine of her silver eyes. With sleep being the best option, Ebony thought of another statement she said a while ago.

 _"My goal in life is to leave my mark in Remnant's history so I'll never be forgotten. I want to use the power given to me and see how far I can go. Good or bad, I want to be remembered,"_

"The good didn't work out so well… I guess all that's left is bad."


	47. Odd Alliances & Shattered Trust

**Setting: Nexus Council Building**

Members of the council spent most of their weeks in Nexus though their homes are their settlements. There was a building suite reserved solely for them and the council building had smaller rooms any of them could use when they needed to stay close to their work.

Of all the members, Percy stayed in Nexus the least because he preferred the luxuries of Oasis. Carmine and Solis stayed in the suites more often than the others to the point they became true friends and spend time together. Chartreuse rarely stayed in the suite but she could usually be found in the room the council building provided. She preferred to be by her work in case some unexpected happened.

The naval prodigy stayed in her private quarters for the fourth day in a row and went to her office to do her daily work. If Solis's office made people feel warm, Chartreuse made people want to take a dip in a lake. She had a small pond by the far wall, a waterfall by her desk, and behind it was a fish tank with a dozen fish swimming inside. A ship in a bottle was perched on her desk and it was a replica of her own ship. On the walls were maps of Remnants waters, specifically places she had already traversed.

Chartreuse was in her office and started doing some work for the settlement. She also had papers regarding some business in Treasure Trove Wharf, but she left those matters to her new second-in-command, Turquoise. The young girl has proven herself capable and trustworthy to leave the settlement in her hands.

She got through an hour of work before receiving a call. "Hello? Chartreuse here?" she answered. She listened to Carmine on the other end and whatever she heard made her jump from her seat. Chartreuse sped out of the office. Her destination was the main hall of the council building where her fellow members were present along with Clair and an unexpected visitor.

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

More than a week has passed since the incident in the kingdom. Things seem to have died down as there were no Shade Academy students occupying Nexus territory. There was also no sign of Ebony and her Champions who fled the kingdom after her semblance was exposed to everyone. With her credibility in shambles, Clair and her companions expect her to be silent for a long time. The peaceful times were enjoyable to VRSZ, Ebony's constant foes.

Just as he promised Onyx was able to create a new bionic eye for Remus. It served the same purpose as his original one and Violet made sure the young faunus didn't include any of the special features he mentioned before. Remus didn't see anything different about this compared to his first one, which was a good thing. He didn't want to explain what happened to his eye to Prof. Lupa.

Zelts had most of his things packed. He was ready to leave for Vale anytime, but the feeling of leaving the others was holding him back a great deal. Separating himself from the others after everything they've been through was harder than he thought. While he wanted to live his life with Lily, Zelts also didn't want to leave his family. He was torn, but he kept it under wraps so the others wouldn't worry.

"So, when do you plan on tying the knot?" Silver asked Zelts with a smirk. Zelts was in the living room, sitting on the couch and thinking deeply about his eventual departure. Silver's comment when he entered the room snapped Zelts out of his daze. "You're going to be living with Lily, so I assumed you planned to marry her."

"I never thought about it. As long as I'm with her, I'll be fine." Zelts felt at ease when he spoke those words. They were his true feelings, but he also wanted to be with the others too. "If she wants to get married, I don't see a reason to say no. What about you and Bianca?"

Someone was knocking on the door after he asked the question. Silver walked to the door and answered his friend. "Never thought about it. If it happens, it happens," he said as he opened the door.

The person at the door was someone Silver didn't recognize. An older gentleman with a withered, but warm smile. He never met this person but the same couldn't be said about the visitor.

"You must be Silver. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person," the man said as he raised his hand to shake. Silver did not feel the same. He only looked at the man's hand with raised eyebrows

"Do I know you?" The curt response made the man chuckle.

"Well, it's true we never met in the flesh, but I know you and your team. My name is Theodore and I'm the headmaster of Shade Academy."

Silver's eyes widened. This man was the leader of the kingdom of Vacuo, the place they broke into, escaped, and had been fighting for weeks. And now, he was at their doorstep. The next move the gunslinger made after Theodore's introduction was important. Silver slammed the door on him.

Disbelief written all over his face, Silver looked back to Zelts in the living room and Violet and Remus in the kitchen. "Guys…"

"Who was at the door?" Zelts asked. Violet and Remus gave Silver their attention.

"Uh...the headmaster… the leader of the kingdom is at the door…" No one made a move. Zelts stared at him in confusion and Violet raised a suspicious eyebrow at him. Remus believed him, but felt like this could be another of Silver's pranks.

"If you're going to play games, make up a believable lie," Violet told her friend before turning away from him. She wasn't going to indulge him and Silver squinted his eyes in annoyance. He enjoyed messing with his team. Recently, he placed a plastic scorpion on Zelts' bed to freak him out, but this wasn't one of those moments.

He swung the door open violently and Theodore was still there, undisturbed by the door shutting or suddenly swinging open. Silver presented the headmaster unceremoniously to show he was right then sat on the couch next to Zelts who was astounded Theodore was here. Silver was done. He disliked his friends doubting him after all they've been through and just watched to see what would unfold. Violet stood to her feet and pulled an Enigma from her sleeve. She always had her weapons on her person.

Seeing Violet prepare to fight and Remus following her lead, Theodore raised his hands over his head. "Hold on! I'm not here to fight!" he stated. "This is not a hostile visit. I'm in Nexus to apologize and make amends."

"And we're supposed to believe that?" Violet questioned, not dropping her knife, approaching Theodore.

"It's true, darling," a familiar voice answered. Walking into view next to Theodore was Clair with Blood by her side.

"Why?" Silver asked, still disenchanted with the situation.

"After everything that happened with Ebony, I felt it was best to reevaluate the relationship with Nexus. Any form of alliance can help both this settlement and the kingdom prosper," Theodore explained to VRSZ.

Violet was still skeptical. She had a right to be after all the hardships the kingdom put them through. However, any kind of pact between Nexus and the kingdom was ultimately up to the council. She figured that was the reason Clair was here: to tell them the outcome, but the fact they were here told VRSZ the kingdom and Nexus planned to be on friendlier terms.

"And you're here to tell us?" Remus asked with his head tilted.

"That's part of it, but I wanted to meet all of you in person," Theodore explained. "It goes without saying that the kingdom has caused VRSZ a great deal of grief, so I wish to apologize and give you some form of recompense."

"Recompense?" Silver finally stood up when he heard that word. "What kind of 'recompense' are we getting?"

"I think it's fair for you to name your price," Theodore told them genuinely and Silver swooped in like a vulture.

"How much Lien can you give us? A million? A hundred million? We'll take as much as you can-" Zelts put a hand on his rabid friend who didn't notice he was inching closer to the unnerved headmaster.

"Silver, you're drooling," Zelts commented.

Violet approached Theodore while Zelts held their frenzied gunslinger back. Her face wasn't as crazed as his as she held a more stern look, but Theodore wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

"The training academy students go through, does it help them improve a great deal?" she asked which piqued everyone's interest. A former mercenary group asking about student training was peculiar.

"I would say it does," he answered with confidence. "We like to help our students stretch the limit of their abilities."

 _"I can tell. Our recent battles with CLSH proved how effective their training was. It didn't take them long to catch up to our level,"_ Violet thought. She didn't want to give Theodore the satisfaction even though she could admit his teaching method was impressive.

"Could your training methods work with us?" she asked him. Silver was devastated their leader wanted to use their greatest favor for training. They had the headmaster of Shade Academy, the leader of the Vacuo kingdom in their pocket, and he wanted to use it for something so simple. All these years, he never fully understood her thought process.

Silver wasn't the only one surprised with her request. Zelts found it odd as well and so did Theodore, but he was amused. The only ones not surprised were Remus and Clair. The former didn't really care about the reward and the latter somehow knew Violet was going to ask for something like this.

"It should work, if you're willing to work for it," Theodore answered.

Violet turned to the others and asked, "Anyone want to get stronger?"

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

News of Ebony's semblance has spread thanks to the kingdom's lines of communication. Many allied settlements were weary of the Charming Vantablack who appeared in their territory. Suspicious glances and doubtful faces were the things she had to deal with. There were two places that demanded she left and she did so without any resistance. The usual, playful swagger she loved to exude was no longer there.

Her airship soared through the sky around the edges of Vacuo where word of her abilities was less likely received and fewer sanctioned settlements were located. Even with the passing of days after the revelation of her semblance, the tension in the airship was not fully lifted.

Brenton flew the airship personally. Not knowing if Ebony used Charm on him to recruit him made the reptilian faunus suspicious and all this time alone only left unpleasant thoughts in his head. Ebony was quieter than she has ever been and she kept to herself, holding up in her room whenever she could with Monochrome standing guard.

The stillness and barrenness of the airship were felt by Zinnia who tried to find some way of bringing things back to the way they were. She realized getting Brenton back would be easier if he spoke with Ebony, so the problem started with her. Ebony was truly at a loss after the incident in the kingdom. Even more so when they visited other towns to rest. The comments and glances on Ebony did a surprising number on her character. She did nothing to fight back. She just took it then isolated herself. She was truly in a dark place.

Zinnia, unable to see her friend like this, tried to persuade Ebony to cheer up. She stood at her door with a desperate look on her face. Monochrome turned its head her way but did nothing since she did nothing.

"Ebony, can we talk?" Zinnia asked though it sounded more like a plea. She waited for a response but received none. This was just like every other time she tried to chat with Ebony.

"We'll find a place to land and we'll figure something out, but you need to come out so I can see your face. I need to hear your voice. You need to tell me how you're feeling… Even if it's a lie, I want to hear you say it…" she said that last part in a low tone, but it was still audible.

On the other side of the door, Ebony was sitting in her bed, ignoring Zinnia's attempts to rouse her. She planned on playing deaf for the remainder of the day, but the last thing her confidant said made her lift her head.

"Even if it's a lie, I want to hear you say it."

 _"This is starting to get frustrating,"_ Zinnia thought to herself. Her attempt at conversation was futile and she was fed up with Ebony's childlike stubbornness. She eyed Monochrome and judged she could defeat the machine and talk to Ebony face to face, but it would be a difficult task to perform. She reached for her whip-sword.

"If I have to drag you out of there, I-" Zinnia stopped her action when the door to Ebony's bedroom opened. The Charming Vantablack showed herself with her hair a mess and her face looking pale. She didn't say anything. She simply grabbed Zinnia's hand and pulled her into the room.

 _"Mission accomplished, I guess,"_ Zinnia thought to herself then she got a good look at how unkempt Ebony's room was. It was a mess and she usually had it in pristine condition.

"Are you finally going to listen to me?" Zinnia asked Ebony who didn't respond. Zinnia could only sigh. "You do know Brenton isn't liking this any more than the rest of us. He hasn't told me anything, but I noticed how he's been acting. Ebony, if you don't talk to him, Brenton's going to leave us. Do you want that?"

Ebony looked at her with her eyes downcast and dim before looking to the floor. "Of course not, but I don't blame him. This always happens when I tell someone about my semblance."

Zinnia stopped talking when she said that.

"It took me a long time to learn what my semblance was after I unlocked it, but I was so proud of it because it meant I could be a Huntress. However, telling people about Charm made them afraid of me. No one wanted me on their team because they were scared I was going to take control of them, just like Brenton. No matter how many times I tell them I won't do that, they say it's just me using Charm to trick them."

 _"No wonder she kept it secret. No wonder she's acting like this. She's experienced this before and hates it,"_ Zinnia thought, feeling pity deep in her heart for Ebony. Having a semblance that made people do what you want, making you completely untrustworthy. This was the immeasurable burden of Charm that Ebony had to deal with.

"I hate this feeling, the looks I get, the comments I hear… This was the reason I couldn't get through Huntsmen training…" Ebony admitted while staring at a wall, making sure Zinnia couldn't see her heartbroken expression. "I can't lose face in front of my Champions,"

"I guess that's the reason you went with Carabosse. I'm sorry you went through all that when you were younger. I really am, but we need you to get over this slump. If you can't then this dream will fall to ruin too." Zinnia's blatant statement resonated in Ebony. She knew her confidant was right. She just needed a way to move forward.

Without warning, Ebony went to her dresser and grabbed some clothes. She started taking off her pajamas and changed into new clothing. Zinnia immediately left the room to give her liege her privacy, waiting in the hallway with Monochrome watching her. She thought back to her original plan of fighting the android by her side.

"I could definitely take you," she told Monochrome who didn't respond to her childish remark.

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

This was an unusual move. Silver had no idea what Violet was thinking. Was getting stronger really that important? Silver already considered her to be the strongest person he ever met. What more could she want? He felt like she just wasted a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Violet was in her room, packing a few of her things into a backpack. When she was finished, she walked into the living room where she found the others. Professor Theodore already returned home. Zelts, Sliver, and Clair watched her and Remus did the same, but he had his own bag on his back. He was the only one who decided to go with her. Silver didn't see a reason to go and Zelts didn't want to get stronger. The point of leaving was to leave all the conflict behind him. Violet was fine with their decisions and prepared to depart for the kingdom with Remus. Clair didn't add her two cents, but she felt this was a good move to improve the relationship between Nexus and the kingdom.

"Ready?" she asked Remus.

He flashed her a smile. "Yeah. I've been waiting to level up for a while." His little catchphrase made her smile. It has been quite some time since she heard him say that.

She turned to the others and said, "I'll see you guys in a few days. Don't do anything stupid while we're gone."

"No promises," Silver told her mockingly. His juvenile remark only made her chuckle. She knew Silver could take care of himself and maybe she'll get him a souvenir as her own compensation.

"You guys better show us all the new tricks you learn in the kingdom," Zelts commented to the both of them. Remus told him he would like it was obvious, and Violet nodded in response. This training was going to help her fight so he wouldn't have to.

Clair wrapped her arms around both Violet and Remus. She followed up with a kiss to their cheeks. Remus backed away with a slight blush and uncomfortable expression, but Violet rolled her eyes in amusement. This was something Clair loved to do and she was no longer surprised by it. "We'll hold down the fort while you guys go on your date."

Violet sighed, though combat training with Remus was more relaxing and refreshing than an ordinary date, plus it left little time for awkward small talk. "Call it whatever you want. We're going. See you all in a few days." She and Remus got into the Fantasia and drove out of Nexus with the kingdom being their destination. Both planning to attain new strength.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Ebony was up and going thanks to Zinnia and she was ready to move forward, but in order to do that, she needed to clear the air between herself and Brenton. Both of them were in the cockpit with Zinnia standing as a mediator. Monochrome wasn't present because Ebony didn't want it with them, fearing Brenton would feel pressured to listen to her. She needed things to be equal between them.

She stood in front of Brenton who remained at the pilot's seat with an unpleasant grimace. She could tell he wasn't pleased to see her and she expected this. Everyone felt that way after learning about her semblance. She was used to it.

"For something this serious, I won't dance around the issue. Let's cut to the chase. I don't want you to leave us. You're a part of the Champions and one of my closest friends…"

Brenton just stared at her. The hollowness of his eyes proved she wasn't getting through to him. She sighed. "That being said, I don't seem to be the most trustworthy person and it's clear my words have no meaning because of my Charm, but there's one thing my semblance has no influence over; my actions."

The emptiness in Brenton's eyes vanished as he actually listened to what she had to say. Even Zinnia wasn't sure what her liege was thinking.

Ebony's tone, face, and the aura she released showed she was serious. "What do you want me to do to prove my loyalty to you?"

An unexpected offer was given to Brenton who was taken aback by this opportunity but had no reason to waste it.

"I want something big and you probably already know what it is."

* * *

 **So yeah, Ebony has a history of bullying and prejudice when it comes to her semblance. How can you trust someone who can manipulate your mind so easily? It's the main reason she doesn't tell anyone about it. She holds Zinnia in high regard because she is one of the few people to learn of her ability and not distrust her. The bond between them is genuine.**


	48. A Tree and Its Branches Part 1

**Setting: Shade Academy**

Compared to the other kingdoms, the kingdom of vacuo was the least glamorous of the four. The people focused more on survival and practicality before anything else. In order to survive in Vacuo, strength was necessary and that was the reason Shade Academy stood as the pinnacle and sole source of order in Vacuo. While not up to the same standards as the other academies, Shade was known for its intense training to prepare Huntsmen for the harsh territory around them.

Training took place in massive rooms known as the Training Grounds. It helped teachers instruct a large number of students and allowed the students to be a little less restraint with their abilities. Today, the Training Grounds was being exclusively used for Theodore's honored guests; Team VRSZ.

Remus stood in the middle of the massive room, brandishing Delta and scanning his surroundings. Nothing else was going on, but the concentrated appearance said otherwise. His eyes shifted from right to left then they widened a bit. Remus swung his sword to his left and it stopped mid-swing with sparks flying and the sound of metal clashing. He held his sword with resistance as a flurry of tulip petals appeared before him with Violet undoing Invisibility.

She failed and clicked her teeth in response. It's been two days and she hasn't made any progress in improving her semblance.

 **Two Days Ago**

"Mr. Theodore, what method did you use for Team CLSH? Specifically, Cerise's semblance has developed at an astonishing rate," Violet asked the headmaster after he told them they were going to use Training Grounds number 2 however they like.

"I take it that's what you want to improve? We do have a method to help our students further evolve their abilities with their semblances. It's the tree and branch method," he informed her.

She had never heard of the 'Tree and Branch' method, glancing to Remus by her side, he seemed just as perplexed as she was. She was glad she wasn't alone. This was new territory for both of them. Their confusion was not missed by Theodore he chuckled to himself before explaining.

"We have our students think of their semblance as a tree. The tree represents the core ability of their semblance. The branches represent the different applications one could use their semblance for. A good example would be with your semblances. Remus, your semblance base ability allows you to teleport. A branch or an extension of that is your ability to teleport yourself with another person or how you increase the smoke your semblance makes to work as a smokescreen. The same goes for you, Violet, and your ability to make others invisible or how you make things invisible for a certain duration even if you're not in physical contact."

His explanation was impressive. Remus had a better understanding of the method while Violet acknowledged Theodore's knowledge of them. It was more thorough than she gave him and made her wonder if the kingdom had great intel or was the information provided to them by Ebony. Either way, it was going to benefit them.

"Oh! It's like a skill tree! I get it now," Remus exclaimed with confidence. Violet had an inkling of an idea of what he was talking about. It was a method of powering up in some of the games they played. If anything, Remus helped her understand it better. Theodore chuckled to himself because it was the same principle.

"So, you two need to use your semblance at its base then try something new. Form a new branch. Be imaginative. See if you can find a new way to use your semblance," Theodore told them in an uplifting, instructional manner, much like a professor. He turned to leave. "If there is any equipment you need or anything else, let me know." And with that, Violet and Remus were left to train to their liking.

 **Present Day**

"I still can't do it. What am I doing wrong?" Violet cursed herself for not achieving results after two days of training. The tree and branch method was more difficult than she thought.

"It's not easy. This is…unexpected. Maybe we should ask for help? Theodore?" Remus asked as he sat on the ground. His progress was a little different compared to Violet's. He was still trying to figure out what new application to Checkpoint while Violet knew what she wanted.

Invisibility had two levels to it. The first level or base ability simply made her invisible. By applying more aura, the second level not only made her invisible but undetectable through any other means, including the other senses and machinery like radars and scanners, however, she could only move around without being noticed. She couldn't strike someone using the second level. If she did, it would revert back to the base level and give away her position.

Before working on the branches, Violet wanted to make the tree of Invisibility stronger by combining both levels so she could attack while remaining completely undetectable. That was her primary goal, to be an unseen force that struck enemies down before they knew what got them. The only problem was she had no idea how to combine the two.

Remus halted his training to help Violet. She appreciated it, but also felt guilty for stunting his growth with her own shortcomings. Her face was downcast when she looked at him, not doing anything to improve himself until she did. It was moments like these that made her think-

"I'm not good enough to lead anymore."

"Huh?" Remus said as he heard her whispered statement. Violet gawked at him in surprise. She thought she said that part in her head. Even her own lips were betraying her. "What are you talking about? Getting stuck on this doesn't mean you're a bad leader," Remus reassured her as he knelt beside her.

Saying, 'Don't worry about it' didn't seem enough to drop the topic. This was something she never wanted to talk about with anyone and take it to her grave, though the concern in Remus's eyes told her he wasn't going to let it go.

She sighed then said, "It's not about this. When I… Compared to you, and Zelts, and Silver, I feel like I'm not up to par with any of you."

Disgust wasn't the right word for the look on Remus' face. Repulsed was the best description. "How could you say that?! You're the best one on the team!"

"You're just saying that… Zelts has been strong ever since we met him. I rely on him to cover me a lot. Silver's gotten better at fighting up close and he's been learning to fly with his semblance. And you… Remus, you're unbelievable. Out of everyone, you're… I call the shots, but as time went by and I watched all of you grow, I don't think I can measure up to you guys anymore."

Remus paused when he looked at her crescent-fallen face. She truly felt that way. She doesn't feel strong enough to lead VRSZ. He could not comprehend her thinking. Violet being incapable of leading Team VRSZ was illogical to him.

"NO!" His outburst was something completely unexpected. Violet had wide eyes and a slightly open mouth though she said nothing. She didn't know what to say. That was the loudest and angriest she has ever heard Remus be. This was an unknown side to him.

"There is no way YOU don't measure up to us?! How can you even think that makes sense?! YOU… YOU'RE the STRONGEST! THE BEST! Silver and Zelts would say the same thing!" Remus was beginning to calm down. "VRSZ can only function with you as the leader. No one else can do what you do and what makes you the best member out of all of us."

His words did a number on Violet. She was speechless again. His passion and belief in her was nothing short of inspiring and it opened her eyes. Was this sentiment shared with the others? According to Remus, they did. A warmth grew in her chest and spread through her body.

She was happy. Genuinely, unbelievably happy. He assuaged the doubts she had with his big proclamation. Violet couldn't be more grateful to have Remus and the others by her side, especially Remus being by her side at this moment.

Remus watched Violet kneel down until she was on the floor beside him then she inched herself closer and closer until her lips met his. Stunned but delighted, Remus felt his whole body burn starting from his face down to his toes which curled from the kiss. His surprise was brief as he let instinct take over and kissed her back. It felt exhilarating for both of two shared pecks on the forehead and cheeks, but this was the first time they legitimately kissed each other. Violet felt the urge to kiss and was glad to follow through with it. This was Violet and Remus's first time kissing anyone.

The moment lingered for a while before Violet pulled away. Remus didn't seem to want to break anytime soon so she had to end it. She pressed her hand against his chest to keep him at bay. She found his silent pleading adorable. Suddenly, Violet and Remus heard their scrolls chime. Remus pulled his scroll out first to see what he got. His face reacted with an unusual expression. It was her turn to look at her device and she found a video sent to her as a text message. It was a video of the two of them kissing.

"How the-" Violet wondered aloud until she saw the sender. Sapphire.

"That was some sensual lip-locking," a voice called out, alerting Violet and Remus they weren't alone in the Training Grounds.

Violet turned her head to find all four members of Team CLSH watching them. She felt her body burn from embarrassment. Having her display of affection seen by her former juniors was mortifying. She felt like she lost the image of calm and collected with them.

"Can we do that again?" Remus asked with wistful eyes. Violet slammed her hand onto his face to shut him up. He only added fuel to an inferno.

Sapphire was laughing to herself, loving the reaction Violet made when she realized they were there. This was the best part of her day and was glad to share this with Violet, Remus, and everyone in her contacts. She was sure the couple would _appreciate_ it later on. The only one with an astonished look was Hazel, mostly because she wasn't expecting to see a kiss from people who were supposedly training. She tried to hide her blush by covering her face with her hands, but it made it even more obvious. The person who seemed unimpressed was Loden, but she kind of aware of the attraction between the two of them before they even realized it. She watched with an ambivalent face. Cerise simply smiled. That was her expression on the outside, but she was screaming on the inside. The fangirl in her was gushing with excitement. After becoming a student of Shade and taking on more responsibilities, she didn't have time for her fanfictions like she used to, but now, she was going to create more just from this moment.

"W-why are you all here?" Violet asked with her voice cracking at first but bringing it back to its usual tone. She didn't want to lose face in front of Team CLSH any further.

Sapphire was still laughing but she answered, "Professor Theodore asked us to see how you guys are doing and see if you needed any help."

Her answer was not what Violet was expecting. _"Theodore? He is trying to make amends with us…"_

"How has the training been?" Loden asked. "Is there anything you need us to help you with?"

"All you have to do is ask," Cerise said before smiling at them.

The last time VRSZ was in the kingdom, they battled with CLSH to avoid capture and learned of Ebony's semblance. The incident helped both teams repair their fractured relationship which was caused by Ebony's manipulation. That was the explanation Violet fabricated for herself, but she had yet to meet them since the incident and chatted with Cerise through text messages. She was wondering how well things really were between them, but she got her confirmation. They were friends again.

About a half-hour passed after Violet asked CLSH for help with the Tree and Branch method. They have all mastered the process and were able to give her and Remus a helpful hint to get started. With the new information, Violet requested some time to herself so she could get this method mastered. This was fine for everyone else because Remus asked Team CLSH to help him train by attacking him relentlessly. What he wanted to achieve required a great deal of pressure.

Violet sat on the ground and closed her eyes to concentrate. The others were on the other side of the room, battling in a one-on-four fight to help Remus. They were loud and distracting with Loden creating stone pillars and rumbling the earth, and Cerise setting off her Runaways, but Violet cast them aside to focus on what Cerise told her.

 _"Theodore told you to think about the base of your semblance and he was right, but you have to look more in-depth to how your semblance works. What does your aura do to activate your semblance? Vi, how does your semblance work? Think about it and you'll find your answer."_

 _"Invisibility uses my aura to conceal my body and the more I use, the more undetectable I become. It takes a greater degree of aura to do this and keeping that up is the reason why I couldn't fight. Any action besides moving used to break my concentration when I first learned I could do this. It was hard to fight while maintaining that level of…"_ Violet thought about this and realized something.

 _"The second level… I've been thinking about it all wrong this whole... Okay, let's try this again,"_ Violet activated her semblance.

Remus was racing around the Training Grounds with four of Hazel's drones in hot pursuit. Even as fast as he was moving they were doing a good job keeping up. They fired an unending barrage of laser blast at Remus who was able to outrun them, but his luck was running out as Loden pierced the ground with World Splitter and swung at Remus, creating a wall of stone that was heading his way. It blocked his path and he swiftly turned to change course and make Loden his target. His path was once again obscured but it was a force field that got in his way. Cerise watched as the Blue Flicker crashed into her wall and tumbled to the ground before getting pushing himself off with his hands and landed on the ground. His fast recovery amounted to nothing as he felt cables wrap around his torso.

 _"Ah man,"_ he thought.

In an instant, he felt his body getting pulled as he was lifted into the air and swung around. Sapphire yanked him around the air and swung him into the stone wall Loden created. He broke through and fell to the ground with stones luckily fall around him and not on him. This was what he needed. This hopeless situation was necessary to unlock his true potential just like his battle with Monochrome. Loden and Hazel's drones were coming to take him out and he was grateful they were. He needed the push and he felt his blood boil. Remus may have asked for this, but he still didn't want to lose.

The drones had their stingers charged with energy and Loden pursued Remus with a strong grip on her naginata with Remus who felt himself reach the level he needed to be. Cerise was ready to use her semblance to disrupt his flow, but no one saw what came next, not even Remus.

One of Hazel's drones was aimed at Remus but for some reason, it turned to Loden and fired on her, blasting her in the back, halting her attack as she turned toward Hazel looking betrayed and confused. This didn't last long as she felt something punch her gut. It wasn't strong but it did make her look down to see nothing. She didn't hear or sense anything either.

The confusion was shared by everyone. Remus was at a loss at first but he figured out what happened. Appearing in a gust of tulip petals in front of Loden was Violet with a huge smile and bright eyes. She had her fist against Loden's chest when she deactivated her semblance. She backed away a beamed in her triumph.

"I did it!" she shouted in victory.

Loden looked down at the excited young girl and didn't know what she was talking about. Was Violet getting in the fight? What as Violet going on about? Cerise understood why Violet intervened. It was staring at them right in the face.

"That was faster than expected," Cerise told Violet with a smirk. A part of her wasn't surprised Violet figured it out so quickly. She always thought her senior was amazing. That feeling didn't change even when they were on opposite sides.

Remus watched Violet with the same intensity he had when he battled Monochrome. The level of focus he was experiencing was tremendous. His body felt lighter and everything around felt different. Remus felt like he could do anything. Project: New World's goal and Dr. Lupa's desires.

He achieved them. Remus was the Delta.

He obtained the level he needed and planned to train in order to maintain it permanently, but for now, he wanted Violet to have her moment. _"She doesn't stop leveling up… And she thought she was the weakest one,"_

"Everyone has their own way of figuring out the Tree and Branch method. How'd you figure it out?' Loden asked Violet as everyone gathered around them.

"My semblance let's be invisible and virtually undetectable. I thought the second part was the branch, but looking back at how Invisibility works, I realized it's not. It's still the tree. It's the base form of my semblance just to a higher degree. The more aura I put into using it, the less likely I can be noticed by anyone. All I had to do was change my understanding of it and recognize it as regular use of my semblance. Now I can fight and remain undetectable at the same time. I guess you can say the tree of my semblance got a little stronger," Violet explained proudly.

The smugness of her voice and her attitude was not lost by anyone. She was able to solve the Tree and Branch method thanks to her friends and she was proud of that. The swagger Violet displayed slowly vanished as she got over her success and realized she had quite a ways to go. This was only the first step in her desire to get stronger. She wasn't going to stop here.

"This was only our second day. Just two more to go,"

* * *

 **The video text Sapphire sent was seen by Silver, Zelts, and everyone they knew in Nexus. Once the day was over, Violet and Remus looked through their scrolls to see a bunch of texts from their friends. Violet was mortified and Remus didn't care. He wanted to kiss Violet again.**

 **The Tree and Branch Method has worked for Sapphire and her Masquerade. Not only can she use her semblance to take on the appearance of anyone she's seen, but she can also mix and match different parts of different people to look like someone else entirely. For example, she can take Zelts's face, Silver's nose, Ghost's ears, Onyx's eyes, and Blood's mouth to look like a different person.**

 **If you were to ask Blood what he does as a hobby, he'd tell you he does gardening. Being in the desert, he has several potted cacti in his apartment. He likes how they bring some liveliness to his living quarters.**

 **Sports Team VRSZ would play: Violet's would most likely be gymnastics, Remus's is definitely soccer, Silver's is basketball, and Zelts's would be either boxing or rugby.**


	49. Tree and Its Branches Part 2

**A/N: First, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all! I hope your enjoying the seasons! Second, I don't know why, but this chapter felt like it took forever to make. A lot of stuff was jammed into it and finishing it took longer than I liked. Just wanted to get that out there. Enjoy the read.**

* * *

 **Setting: Training Grounds #2**

Sensational. That was the word Remus used to describe what he was feeling. He stood in the training room and looked at his surroundings. He glanced at everything with wonder and felt so free as he did it like he was standing on a hill with the wind blowing gently. A revitalizing breath of fresh air.

" _This is what it's like to reach this state. It's incredible,"_

He moved his arm and felt like he could so much more than he thought he could. That was the goal. It was the very reason he left to train with Lupa and he only achieved this once and only for a brief moment. Despite his constant training, there weren't many scenarios where he felt backed into a corner. At this moment, he was the Delta Lupa wanted him to be when they first met and now he had to work on maintaining it. Training his semblance while in this state of mind state killed two birds with one stone. With his mind feeling more open than it ever was before, he felt a creativity surge.

Watching from afar, Violet raised an amused eyebrow as she found Remus watching himself move his body. He looked like he was getting high for the first time. She knew what he was doing after he told her how he became the Delta. She was happy for him, but an inkling of worry formed in the back of her mind. She remembered her talk with Lupa and the professor's fear of Remus losing himself with his newfound potential. Violet assured her she had nothing to worry about, but she glanced at Remus every few minutes just to be sure. She didn't want to lose him either.

The sun was setting on the second day of Violet and Remus's training. The Cloak & Dagger duo had been at it for hours, trying their hardest to create new skills for themselves. Violet spent most of her day reviewing her semblance to better understand how to utilize it more efficiently. Remus became the Delta and was ready to train for real.

Team CLSH left the training room hours ago, but not before informing their friends about the Training Grounds and its functions. There was a control room that helped configure the training hall to whatever the user needed. Walls, obstacle courses, training dummies, etc. All of it would appear from beneath the floor. Hazel asked if they had any request and Violet asked for targets.

Simple bullseye targets surrounded her and she had her Enigmas in her hands. Eight targets, eight knives, and a technique in mind. Violet used Invisibility on her Enigmas, channeling her aura into the knives to make them invisible and she made sure to infuse them with more aura than needed. " _Let's see if this works,"_

Violet pivot her foot and spun around once, throwing two of the knives in her hand. She hit two targets, dead in the center, with her invisible Enigmas and she waited. The knives were still invisible and the only indication that they hit the targets was the crack the knives made when they connected. She watched the targets she hit and waited for her desired result.

A few seconds after the invisible knives hit the targets, the targets themselves became invisible as well. Seeing this made Violet smirk triumphantly. This was what she wanted. Her tree grew another branch and she wanted to show off.

"Hey, Remus! Check out this new-" she stopped, noticing Remus was too enveloped with his own ability to acknowledge her. She had never been ignored by him before and she was not pleased by his disregard.

" _I can probably do this or I might be able to do this with Checkpoint. I can't wait to- Or maybe I can-"_ Remus felt his shirt be tugged and he found himself face to face with Violet who looked a little irked. He had no idea she was so close or why she looked upset. He didn't even have a chance to ask.

"I'm happy you unlocked the state you always wanted, but don't get too enthralled with it. Pay attention to your surroundings and the people calling your name," she instructed him with a level head. She wasn't angry with him but didn't want to openly admit she wanted his attention and praise. She wasn't as honest with her feeling like he was.

"Uh, sorry," Remus said sheepishly, but that was enough for Violet as a small smile formed on her face. She found an apologetic Remus to be a rare and cute sight. The urge to tease him grew but she denied the playful side of herself so they could focus on their objective.

"I'll forgive you if you watch me use my new technique," she told him, walking away before he could answer.

Demonstrating her new move filled Violet with pride. Looking over her shoulder she noticed how impressed Remus was. His wide eyes and open mouth told her he was impressed. "All I had to do was put more aura into the knives and it went into the targets as well. I think this could be useful in many scenarios."

On the other side of the conversation, Remus saw Violet's new ability and felt enlightened.

" _Pouring one's aura into another object…"_ he thought to himself. He didn't say anything about Violet's new technique and pondered several ideas in his head. Unaware of his surroundings again, Violet had a deadpan stare as she watched him do exactly what she told him not to do.

All she could do was sigh and drop her shoulders. " _He's hopeless,"_ She resumed her training and wondered when Remus will start his.

Remus stood in the same spot and pondered a lot about Violet's new technique, the mechanics behind it, and the other people who demonstrated the same ability. _"Blood's Paralysis can do that. Silver's Gravity Bullets use the same method… Injecting your own aura into an object or person… Could my semblance…"_

Remus pulled himself out of his mind and shifted his eyes to Violet who was throwing more invisible Enigmas at bullseyes and dummies to make them vanish. The more she practiced, the better she'd get. She was testing the limits of her semblance. What was he doing?

 _"I've only used Checkpoint to teleport myself along with whoever and whatever is in contact with me. Dust changes the property, but it's still the same. What else can it- can I do? The smokescreen is not enough. I need to use the points on my skill tree… What would happen if I pour my aura into someone?"_

"Violet!" he called out to her.

She stopped flexing her semblance when she heard him. _"Oh, now you want my attention?"_ she thought, a little peeved with his behavior. It wasn't like him and she wasn't fond of it. Still, she answered as softly as she could, "What is it?"

He ran to her and made one request. "Can I hold your hand?"

" _Huh?"_ she said inwardly. It was definitely not a question she expected from him. Was Remus bored with training and wanted to kiss her again? It wasn't the time or place, though she didn't fully object to the proposal. A bit of blush decorated her face. However, she felt the chance of CLSH spotting them was very high and she shook her head to clear her thoughts and answer him properly.

" _I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's see what he wants,"_ Violet thought as she silently gave Remus her hand. He never put his aura into to others before so he closed his eyes to focus. It wasn't difficult for him to do this with Violet, but he had no idea what would happen afterward. Remus used Checkpoint with the aura he placed into Violet's body.

Loden was walking through the Training Ground rooms to do some training of her own. She felt the urge to do so after seeing Violet and Remus learn new moves. _"A shame the others are too busy, but that's not gonna stop me,"_

However, she learned she chose a poor time to start. It was evening and access to the rooms was going to close. Loden never liked the academy's curfew policies. Late-night training was one of her favorite pastimes, but they denied her. Infuriating. That was the word Loden used to describe her feelings toward the curfew.

The first training room was full of other students using this time to train and refugees learning to fight. This was a common sight for Loden and the rest of the student body. With the kingdom housing so many refugees after the Fall of Beacon, it was getting overcrowded, so Theodore decided to help the refugees by teaching them how to defend themselves against any kind of threat. It was a generous offer, but it left the first training room too full for her to use. The second training room was reserved exclusively for VRSZ, so the other three rooms were all that was left.

She walked past the second room only to see the doors open with Violet and Remus walking through. She could see them but they didn't see her. _"They must've just finished. I'll-"_

"Wow… That was incredible. What a rush! I can't believe you could do that to me…" Violet said while releasing a long sigh. Loden heard this and wondered what they were doing. The way she sounded was odd for a training regiment.

"Really? Did you like it too? I was pretty nervous. It was my first time, so…" Remus admitted, sounding relieved. His response was also suggestive. Loden didn't know what to make of it.

" _He's… They're not talking about what I think they are. They wouldn't,"_ she thought then remembered them kissing in the middle of the training room. A light blush appeared on her face.

Violet and Remus walked away, too enraptured in their conversation to notice their friend by the training room doors. "It's alright. It was a first for both of us. I hope we can try again later… in the room," Violet asked and that was all Loden could take.

The young lady who was usually calm and focused felt her brain turn to a burning mush. With her face burning red, she quickly retreated from the hall and scurried away into Training Ground room number four.

"Are you sure the hotel room has enough space to use Checkpoint? I mean it could work but I don't think it'll be interesting to teleport in a room," Remus asked.

"You only did it once. That's not enough. Practice and you'll probably be untouchable in battle," Violet assured him.

 **Setting: Hotel Room**

The kingdom wasn't as luxurious as the other kingdoms but it did serve the needs of the populace and tourists. Hotels were more like inns, they didn't have room service or extravagant suites, but they could house just as many people.

With no exquisite rooms, Violet and Remus had an ordinary room, but neither of them cared for such things. As long as it worked for them, it was fine. That's the type of people they were. Their hotel room was a simple one with a bathroom, a window overlooking the street, and two beds. When they first arrived, Violet contemplated for a long time whether to get two beds or share one with Remus. Her thinking took quite some time and her face turned red when the thought of being in the same bed as-

" _NO!"_ she shouted in her head mentally. It was something she did every time she walked into the room. She didn't want to regret her choice. Her partner didn't seem to think about it as deeply as she did. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Want to try now?"

"Huh?" Violet was thrown off by his question while thinking about the beds. She blushed from the unexpected question. Was he reading her thoughts?

"My new move. You said we can try it in the room. Still want to do it?" Remus asked, making Violet feel foolish for her assumption.

" _He's not like that…"_ she thought to herself then answered, "Sure."

 **Setting: Training Room #2**

The third day of training had the duo focus on honing their new moves. Violet was able to learn hers quickly the day before, so she stopped her training to help Remus, who needed a second person to use his.

She stood on the opposite side of the massive training room and Remus was at the entrance. He already placed a shard of his aura in her and he was ready to see if he could do it a second time and if it could cover the distance. Activating his semblance while agitating the aura in Violet, he used Checkpoint.

Remus and Violet disappeared in small puffs of blue smoke and they reappeared in the same spots, however, Violet was at the entrance of the room and Remus was at the end.

Checkpoint: Round Robin. A unique use of Checkpoint that allows Remus to swap places with someone imbued with his aura via teleportation. Distance didn't matter and carried the same risks as teleporting to familiar places instead of using his eyesight: jumping in blind.

Excited with the success of his semblance, and sensing just a sliver of his aura still left in Violet, he used Round Robin again to swap places. For Violet, it happened in an instant. She was by the entrance then blue smoke obscured her vision for a second and she found herself back to her original spot. Round Robin worked instantaneously.

"That's all I got," Remus said to himself after trying to use it again but sensed none of his aura in Violet. Two uses were all he could do. "Round Robin is only good for two shots." He ran to Violet and reached her in a few short seconds. His new ability was just like his speed.

"It's fast. A lot of people will be thrown off by it," Violet complimented. She counted herself as one of those people.

When he first tried it, she felt exhilarated by the rush. She teleported with Remus before but always as a passenger. To experience the same thing he did when he uses Checkpoint was something new. She felt her adrenaline soar through the roof. Recalling her use of Invisibility, goosebumps always formed on her body. Did every semblance have a different sensation?

Remus felt satisfied with his ability, but he focused on his other skills to improve his new state of mind. His body already surpassed the physical limits of people, but without a mind to keep up with his movements, reflexes, and strength, he was only working with a regular body. Now, he was truly at his peak. He assembled training dummies and ripped through all of them with his sword. Each swing felt so light and the metal dummies fell apart with such ease. His strength and precision changed dramatically. He was loving this more than he thought and it wasn't lost on Violet.

 **Setting: Hotel Room**

She really hoped Lupa's fear didn't come true. They did separate training for the rest of the day. Violet continued practicing her new semblance ability though, whether she realized it or not, her eyes glanced over to Remus who decimated more training dummies. Two things crossed her mind: " _Is the Academy going to send us a bill for all these dummies?" and, "You're still my Remus, aren't you?"_

The third day ended normally and the two of them returned to their rooms. The light breathing and the rise and fall of his chest told Violet Remus was fast asleep. She wished it were that easy for her. Resting on her side, she watched him sleep. The peaceful look he had made a smile on her face which changed to a thin line. The doubt was so small when she talked to Lupa and it grew more when he finally awakened his potential.

" _What's going to happen to him in an actual fight and afterward…"_ she thought then sighed. " _I need to nip this in the bud, tomorrow,"_

 **Setting: Training Room #2**

Today was the final day. Violet and Remus were set to return home first thing tomorrow. With a few hours of training left, Remus devoted his time to improve his abilities as the Delta. Violet had something else in mind. Walking into the large room, Remus flexed his arms and grabbed his blade. He smiled with excitement. "All right! I'm ready for one last-"

"Remus," Violet called to him before he could get started. Her interruption caught him off guard.

"Ah- yeah?" He asked and he looked at her with pure eyes.

 _"He still looks like himself,"_ Violet thought. She didn't know the outcome of what she was going to do next but felt like it needed to be done.

"This is our last day, so I want to put all of our training to the test. Let's fight. You and me."

He looked at her slightly surprised but it faded away as soon as it appeared and was replaced with a grin. His eyes changed. She could see power flowing through them. He was already the Delta.

"Sure!" he answered, already rearing to go.

A battle was needed. That's what Violet surmised. She believed a serious battle will bring quench the doubt in her mind and a battle with her would keep it under control in some manner. " _And if anything happens to him, I'll be there for him,"_

In the middle of the massive room, Violet and Remus were ready to face each other in combat. They configured the room to have walls and obstacles for them to use. The battlefield was irregular and unpredictable, much like any other. Warriors, Huntsmen, and Huntresses rarely chose the location of their battles.

Remus looked at Violet with elation. The chance to fight and to fight someone as strong as Violet brought more joy to him than she could know. His heart was racing and a smile was one his face, one that didn't seem to be vanishing anytime soon.

On the other side of the room, Violet looked at Remus with seriousness and a little concern. They engaged in combat many times, but this was the first one in his awakened state. Exactly how much stronger was he? Was the Delta different from the old Remus? Could she win? The last thought wasn't something she thought she cared about.

" _I guess whether I'm strong enough to lead them will be answered here,"_ she thought.

 _"There is no way YOU don't measure up to us?! How can you even think that makes sense?! YOU… YOU'RE the STRONGEST! THE BEST! Silver and Zelts would say the same thing!"_

Remus's words echoed in her head. Thinking about it made her smile. It made her glad they were a part of the team. " _I guess I can't think about it now, or I'll disappoint all of them,"_

She smirked confidently at Remus who smiled back. "Hey, Remus! I don't plan on holding back! Can't afford to with you!" She grabbed a few of her Enigmas.

"Right back at you! Out of everyone I've faced, you're the one I want to beat the most!" he shouted with pleasure as he felt his bones tremble. He grabbed Delta and split it in two.

They were both ready.

Remus took the first step and Violet immediately threw the Enigmas at the ground surrounding her. Four knives covered her north, east, south, and west. They erupted and tall stones surrounded Violet, forming a barrier to protect her from close combat. She grabbed more Enigmas.

Reaching the earthen wall, Remus ran straight toward it without slowing down. With his momentum, he raced up the wall and leaped over it to find Violet within it, but what he found was three knives coming his way. He knew she was predicting his moves and that made the fight all the more challenging and fun. Unfazed he deflected all the incoming blades with his sword and shortsword then followed up by combining his blades, transforming it back into a full sword and transforming it again into its rifle form. Even as he performed this himself, Remus couldn't believe he pulled this off so fluidly, like a singular movement, and it felt amazing.

Two bolts of energy were shot at Violet and looked up to watch them come her way. She did nothing to block or divert them as they were getting closer to their target until they exploded in mid-air several feet above her. The attacker raised his eyebrows in suspicion while the target saw something different. When the bolts hit, ice began to appear and fall around Violet along with an Enigma. Her new ability made it possible to defend herself with invisible shields. She felt proud of being able to utilize this in such an intense battle.

He didn't stop there and fired multiple bolts into the barrier, leaving no time to recover. The continuous barrage began to break the stone wall apart and it crumbled from the inside out. With his work done, Remus landed on the ground where the stone dome once stood. Left and right, he found rocks and shards of ice littered around him, but no sign of Violet. He figured she was using her semblance. Trying to sense her presence like he used to amount to nothing. Even he couldn't pinpoint her location.

Suddenly, he felt his arm being swiped then a blow to his chest, pushing him back a step. She was here and fighting him up close. With no indication of her whereabouts, Remus swung his sword, swinging at the air around him, turning and pivoting to cover his bases. He wasn't flailing around as each strike was precise, making it appear Remus was doing solitary training to anyone outside the situation. None of his strikes landed as he split Delta again and used both swords to defend himself. He still hit nothing, but a swing of the shortsword was deflected by something metal. He found her.

Further away, Violet watched Remus hit nothing but air. She was able to sneak away without him noticing then threw a knife at him. She needed him to believe she was still nearby. A head-to-head fight would end in misfortune for her. Fully aware Remus was better in that area of expertise, she decided to stick with diversions, misdirections and surprise attacks.

Reaching into her bag, Violet grabbed two Enigmas and threw them at Remus, aiming for the ground by his feet. She pulled out three more and deactivated Invisibility. Misdirections and diversions. These were her best assets.

"Hey, Rey!" she shouted in delight. He looked her way in confusion. She could tell by his face he had no idea she got that far away and she was glad her training amounted to something. She watched Remus and hoped he would run instead of using his semblance. Her trap hinged on his next move. He took a step forward and Violet was relieved, but she kept those emotions under wraps. She couldn't give herself away.

He had no idea how Violet got over there, but he knew he could close the distance in an instant. Remus immediately started running and he felt himself slip as he moves forward. Moving uncontrollably across the floor. There was nothing there but Remus knew what this was. It was the same tactic Violet preferred using to slow him down. Ice. After sliding across it for a few feet, it appeared beneath a bed of tulip petals. The ice froze over sixty feet of the floor between the two fighters. Remus tipped over at first but he balanced himself on one leg and started sliding with purpose. He was not going to let the ice trip him up again.

The sight before Violet was peculiar. It was like he was skating without skates or sliding across a wooden floor while wearing socks. He was still moving but not as fast as he usually would. She had a chance to counterattack. She reached for more knives, but her effort was in vain as she felt a solid kick to her stomach. He came in so fast she hardly registered what happened. A flash of smoke and a foot came through then Violet felt her body get knocked back and skid across the floor before getting back on her feet. She drew her kukris.

Remus landed on the ground, had his sword in hand, and stepped forward to face her, but he stopped. He thought about the flow of the battle and decided to jump toward Violet, covering the space between them with a single leap. Violet clicked her teeth, cursing herself for thinking he would fall for the same trick twice. Faking her tumble to plant invisible knives in the ground didn't work out as hse wanted, but she remembered they were still there. She had her weapons ready as he landed by her side.

His eyes were focused on her as they stood next to her. HE swiftly swung his sword and it clashed with one of her kukris. The bout between them began with blades clashing and sparks scattering across the ground. He felt his body comprehending what Violet was doing and what she would do next. His attacks were getting sharper and he was beginning to strike before Violet could react. He was overwhelming her.

A swing and a powerful slash across her leg. Violet was feeling pressured against Remus. This new strength of his was incredible. His ferocity was intense and she felt herself sweat more than usual. Facing the Delta was tiring. Being this up close to Remus gave her a chance to look into his eyes and see if the old Remus was still there. They were extremely focused on the battle. It was hard for her to tell and it didn't make her feel better. She found an elbow come her way and quickly raised her arm to block it. Fighting Remus was very difficult but not impossible.

She delivered an uppercut his her palm, hitting Remus in the chin and jerking his head back. This gave her a chance to back away. She quickly slammed both her palms against his chest, pushing him even further away, but he landed on his feet. Looking back at her, he could only see her vanish in a flurry of petals again. Being unable to find her presence was frustrating to him. He looked around to see if he could hear her, but what he heard next wasn't anything good.

It started with the sound of something hitting the ground then more came, surrounding Remus and sounding like a heavy rainstorm. He knew what this was. Flower Garden was unleashed and he had no idea where the knives were. The repetitive sound made it difficult to pinpoint where any of them landed. And with Violet being Invisible made it even harder.

She watched from a distance, memorizing the location of all of her Enigmas. She dashed forward while invisible to take full advantage of her semblance. As she maneuvered around all her knives, Violet watched Remus run forward and he was going to step on an Enigma. She grabbed a knife from her bag so she could strike when he set it off.

At first, she didn't know what happened or how it happened so quickly, but Violet wasn't where she was. She was closer to the middle of the room and felt like she stepped on something. She didn't dare to look down and tucked her body as an explosion went off underneath her. She subconsciously deactivated Invisibility while soaring through the air and scanned the battlefield, finding Remus at her previous location. Somehow, someway, he imbued her with his aura in their bout and used Round Robin to get the drop on her. Violet couldn't help but smile, impressed with his devious actions.

Seeing Violet in the air, Remus used Checkpoint again and teleported directly to her, appearing above her and landing a palm strike to her shoulder. He was ready to do it again, but he felt a tight grip on his arm. She held him didn't plan on letting go. Just as fast as she grabbed him, he felt himself being pulled closer to her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, grappling him as they fell to the ground. Both of them were rotating as they fell with no clear indication which one was going to hit the ground. Checkpoint would work, but he didn't know where to safely land. Her Enigmas could be anywhere thanks to Flower Garden. Suddenly, Remus noticed Violet's arm wrapped around his head and she pulled him closer to her. Purple hair and a shoulder were all he could see and he realized she was impairing his vision, trying to limit his use of Checkpoint.

They both had one free hand and used it for their next action. Remus couldn't do much with his sword and Violet pulled two Enigmas from her back. She squeezed her arm between them and activated the dust in the Enigmas. Wind spewed from the hilts and a burst of it erupted between them before they hit the ground, blasting them both away as they landed on the ground.

With all the spinning, Violet could no longer remember where all her knives were and hoped her landing wasn't too painful. The outcome of this battle might be decided on what Enigmas they run into.

Lightning, ice, and earth were the things Violet ran into and it ended with wind dust. Her back was jabbed by the hilt of wind Enigmas and they released a small vortex, launching her upward as she fell on the ground hard with an aching back. Remus was met with lightning and more fire than anything else. Explosion after explosion came his way and he slid across the ground in a burning heap. Neither of them was moving.

Black was all Violet could see. Her head was throbbing and her back was killing her. SHe regretted using such a double-edged tactic immediately. It hurt a little but she lifted herself up, supporting her upper body with her arms to get a look at the battlefield. Her vision wasn't in the training room. It was taken up by Remus kneeling before her with Delta in hand.

His eyes were the same and he just stared at her. Were Lupa's fears justified?

"I won."

"Hm?" Violet didn't quite catch what he said.

"I got up before you, so I won our mock battle," he clarified with a big smirk. That was a look she knew and loved. His eyes held new light and his aura was more intense, he didn't change at all on the inside. This was still her Remus.

"Yeah, you win this round," she responded with a playful tone. He helped her to her feet and the two looked at the Training Grounds. It was a mess with scorch marks, ice, and knives everywhere. Violet dreaded picking them all up, but she watched Remus take the initiative and start picking them up. He was already reading her mind. Whether in combat or everyday life, he never ceases to amaze her.

 **Setting: Hotel Room**

Their final training session ended and the Cloak and Dagger duo returned to their room for the last time. Not much happened after their battle. Neither Violet nor Remus had the strength to continue with their training, so they spent the rest of the afternoon in the kingdom. Sightseeing and dinner at a food stall. They both enjoyed the simple things.

During that time, Violet took note of Remus, especially his eyes and expressions. There was no difference in him at all after training. He wore his heart out for all to see and spoke honestly about everything despite how it's perceived by others. She already knew this about him, but somehow it felt different to her today. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something more coming off of him. If asked what it was, Violet wouldn't know how to put it into words. All she knew was that her eyes gravitated toward him and her heartbeat hastened when he was nearby.

It beating only worsened when they reached their hotel room, but Violet didn't feel distressed. Her mind was at peace then saw Remus go to his side of the room.

" _That's not right,"_ she thought as her body began to burn.

"Rey," she called out in a tone softer than she expected.

Turning to her, Remus wondered why she was shortening his name and calling him Rey. He didn't dislike it but felt it came out of nowhere. Watching her, he could see the blush that came to her face and how she averted his gaze. This was so unlike her.

Violet hated herself for looking so fragile and feeling so timid, but she was going to ask something she had never done before and it was eating her alive.

"Could you- I mean...if you want, would you like to sleep in my bed…with me?"

Silence. Remus didn't say anything and Violet waited for a response. All she got was Remus staring at her. "Shit! It's too soon! I shouldn't have-"

"Uh, really?" It was his turn to blush and feel his body burn. "You want to-"

"Yes!" she answered quickly, not giving herself a chance to think twice.

She formed a small smile and looked at him with wanting eyes. Whatever it was Remus possessed made her want this. It couldn't be confidence. He always had that. She refused to believe it was something as basic as pheromones. Violet believes she's above that. All she could come up with was that seeing Remus in control as he fought her and still remained himself caused her to look at him in a brand new light as well as stir something inside of her.

Remus stood there stunned. How did things lead up to this? The kiss alone left him befuddled though he yearned to do it again, being offered this was unexpected. He didn't know what to say, but as he looked at Violet, he didn't see a reason to say no. Swallowing nothing but his hesitance, Remus slowly walked up to Violet.

Her heart was ready to burst when he began approaching her. She wanted this but she was also trying to reason herself out of it, making up any excuse she could.

" _This is the adrenaline talking! There's a two-year difference between us.. I'm nineteen and he's still seventeen. Hell, I'll be twenty before he turns eighteen!? Does he know what he's getting himself into? Do I know enough to do this!? I've never done this with-"_

Remus was only inches away from her. She had to flick her eyes up to look him in the eye, remembering how tall he has gotten since they first met. He really has grown up. He didn't know what to do to start, but he didn't have to worry as Violet's lips met his.

The initiative was hers. Violet closed her eyes and kissed Remus deeply. She couldn't see him, but he didn't pull away and she felt arms wrap around her waist. She kissed him again and again until she pulled him to her bed where they continued kissing while taking off their clothes in the process.

Purple and Blue. Neither colors regretted melding that night.

 **Setting: Kingdom of Vacuo**

It was time to leave. Their training vacation was over and it was time for Violet and Remus to return home. Fantasia was parked at the kingdom's borders with the couple getting ready to leave. After last night, Violet and Remus were always close together, silently communicating their fondness for each other.

Their departure was not sudden or quick as they were met with a few people. Waiting for them at the border was each member of Team CLSH and Headmaster Theodore himself. The Huntress team said their goodbyes, fully rekindling the relationship between them. Their restored bond was already established, but making it official made Violet feel so much better. Remus chatted with the girls, telling them to visit Nexus whenever they had the chance while Violet got ready to leave.

"Excuse me, Violet. There's something I'd like to discuss with you," Theodore asked, walking up to her and the Fortuna.

"What is it?" she asked normally. After what the headmaster has done for them for the past few days as well as her happy attitude, she didn't feel like seeming unapproachable.

"First, I'd want to thank you for coming to the kingdom and I hope you enjoyed your stay," he said, bowing his head to show he meant every word.

She glanced at Remus while he was still talking with Sapphire and Hazel. "Yeah. I did," she said with a smile.

"I'm glad. The relationship between the kingdom, Nexus, and VRSZ is paramount. With the state of the world, we can't afford to be bickering amongst ourselves… Thinking back, I was quite foolish."

Violet sighed sympathetically, "It's not like we tried to make peace either. No one here is at fault."

"You're right, but that doesn't mean there isn't someone to blame. It's the reason I wanted to speak to you. I have something for Team VRSZ, though I don't know if you are still for hire." His statement piqued her interest. Why did Theodore bring up their old Freelancer days?

"The kingdom wants to give us a mission?" she asked.

"More like a request if it can be done. Right now, the kingdom has been dealing with many of its own problems; refugees, Grimm, and now we have to deal with some group kidnapping people with powerful semblances… but I digress. This is our problem, not yours, and it has nothing to do with my request," Theodore apologized.

" _Snatching people with powerful semblances? We should watch our backs for that,"_ she thought, taking a mental note before Theodore continued.

"This is about Ebony Vantablack." he had Violet's full attention. "Her actions fanned the flames between Nexus and the kingdom and she escaped before anyone could even question her. As I said, the kingdom is too preoccupied with other matters to deal with her, so I was hoping you and your team could do so on our behalf."

"...What do you want us to do?" She wanted clarity.

"If you can, capture Ebony and bring her to the kingdom to answer for her actions," Theodore stated.

Violet wanted Ebony to pay as well. After everything she's done to them, she wasn't going to get off easy. This wasn't technically a mission from the kingdom, but she contemplated giving Ebony up once she was done with her. "I'll see what we can do," she told Theodore who nodded in agreement.

"Very good."

"It won't be easy, but we can try to find her trail when we get back to Nexus," Violet stated aloud.

"Oh. You haven't heard?" Theodore asked with concern. She turned to him, wondering why he said that. What didn't she know?

"Ebony has been making the news lately. She's been making quite a name for herself with this lastest exploit." Theodore showed her his scroll.

It was an article about Ebony and a place familiar to all of them. Corona.

* * *

 **Violet and Remus's relationship might be my personal favorite because neither of them really knows what they're doing. It's the first time either of them has gone out with somebody. Violet, who is usually composed hasn't the foggiest idea of what the right move is and Remus is more clueless than her. It's awkward and I like it.**

 **Believe it or not, Bianca is actually afraid of ghosts, ghost stories, horror movies and all the like. It's embarrassing for her, but Ghost and Blood find it amusing. Ironically, her teammates include a bat faunus who looks like a vampire and her brother who is named Ghost and has a ghost-like semblance.**


	50. Reign

**A/N: Here it is! The 50th chapter! The final chapter of 2019! I never thought this story would get this far but here we are. It's been an amazing year for VRSZ...and the story will conclude in 2020. I want to say Happy New Year to all the readers and a special one to VRSZ's biggest fan and supporter, LinxBento.**

* * *

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

" _What do you want me to do to prove my loyalty to you?"_

Ebony sat in the cockpit of her airship, piloting her vehicle to its new destination. It was there the Charming Vantablack planned to win Brenton back to her side. Her eyes kept to the land around her, keeping a straight path to her objective, Corona. Experiencing tunnel vision, she planned to follow through her mission. She vowed to herself she wouldn't lose one of her friends over her semblance as she did at Signal Academy.

" _Never again,"_

With Ebony taking charge of the airship, Brenton was left to his own devices, but he wasn't where he wanted to be.

"You don't have to be so dismissive to Ebony," Zinnia scolded her friend.

The lizard faunus sat on the couch with Zinnia standing over him with her hands on her hips and body language similar to a mother scolding a misbehaved child. Laying on the couch, he sighed under his breath because he knew Zinnia would call him out on it. Out of everyone on their team, she was the most motherly.

He groaned in annoyance as she dug into him. He knew Ebony wasn't going to say anything, so Zinnia acted for her.

" _Even if I leave, she'll follow,"_ he realized.

"Are you going to be like this until she gets it done?" Zinnia asked him.

"We made a deal. Once she holds up her end of the bargain, everything can go back to normal. Unless she used her semblance to mess with my mind to make me believe that," he remarked and Zinnia's nostrils flared.

"Aw shit," He regretted what he just said.

It happened in an instant. Brenton hardly saw Zinnia's fist coming as it collided with his chest. The sudden blow knocked the wind out of him and he clutched his stomach as he gasped for air. He saw that coming.

"It's talk like that that destroys Ebony! Do you know how terrible it is to have no one trusts a thing you say? Can you even imagine how lonely that could be? I can't… and I don't want to witness it."

Brenton had no response to her outburst. To be isolated or called a perpetual liar. What kind of life was that? His gaze turned to the ground.

"You're upset because she didn't tell you or because she probably used it on you. If our roles were reversed, I'd feel the same way, but she's trying hard to make up for it. She's even doing your request so you won't hate her and let's face it, what you're asking is a lot, even for her."

"And if she gets it done, I'll listen to whatever she has to say." Brenton got on his feet and walked away, retreating to the confines of his room to avoid any more tongue-lashings.

"Ebony's doing because she doesn't want to lose you. I hope you realize how highly she thinks of you," Zinnia told Brenton before he left. She heard footsteps momentarily stop before they continued, fading out of the common area. " _I hope I'm getting through to you. She needs us now more than ever,"_

 **Setting: Corona**

Corona. The civilization that sprang up in recent months was still standing. The law that governed this place was the strong make the rules. Those who can conquer and dominate call the shots and the strongest of all ruled over everything. Once ruled by Royal, the people live under new rule after his defeat by the combined effort of Team VRSZ and Ebony's retinue.

Claiming the title as the strongest woman in Vacuo, Alexandrite, who was once Royal's lover now the ruler of Corona. With her new position, she named herself sovereign and took control of the settlement. The manner of her claim to the throne was met with a number of citizens departing, favoring Royal over her, but the ones who remained made good use of the space their neighbors left. With fewer people, more resources were available to everyone. Inadvertently, Alexandrite's disposal of Royal brought Corona the survival it needed.

"This whole place sucks," the despondent sovereign complained in her massive chamber. Her words echoed and she didn't care who heard her.

Alexandrite sat on a throne made of crystals consisting of various colors. They shone beautifully as the sunlight hit it and lights danced around the room. She got rid of Royal's old throne and created her own with her semblance. The throne crumbled away anytime she walked away from it. She made this a sign that no one else could take what was hers. Slouching in her fabricated furniture, Alexandrite sighed from immense boredom.

She found nothing to entertain her thirst for battle. No one was around to satisfy her will as a warrior. Raiders were vanquished with ease, Grimm posed no real threat, and the citizens at the Coliseum were too delicate to spar with. The silence of her domain was too much to bear. She needed to do the only thing that didn't bore her.

Self-imposed exile.

In frustration she leaped from her seat and walked away, listening to her seat of power crumble to dust. Walking out of her chamber and through the settlement, Alexandrite left her domain to train in solitude. It was the only way her combat prowess wouldn't dull. Passing through her kingdom, many denizens called to her, praising her, and wishing she come back stronger.

Nothing she did was ever wrong in the eyes of her people and she knew it. Grinning in her mind, Alexandrite liked Corona despite the dullness. Being allowed to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted was something she could never do in Virago, with Grayson, or anywhere else.

Her desire to train was short-lived as she heard a familiar sound she hadn't heard before. In the sky, the Bedazzled Behemoth found an airship descend by her home. With no idea what was going on, the sovereign was happy to have something new happen to her.

 _"Who is it? It doesn't matter! Just bring me a challenge!"_ she chanted in her head as the airship landed. After docking, her face showed great surprise when she saw who was walking out of it.

The same people who helped her ascend the throne. The same woman who also got involved with the Ravagers and helped them claim Fortuna. Why was she constantly showing up? What else could she want?

And why was he here?

Brenton's presence was not welcomed. All she saw when she looked at him was a usurper, a potential threat to rule.

He watched from the bridge of the airship as his friend, Zinnia, and his former friend, Ebony, marched down to begin the mission. The deal was for Ebony to remove Alexandrite from power so he could claim Corona. He was never going to let a tyrant take his home ever again.

But for him to work with her again, Ebony must do this without him. The only question he had was how. He admitted that she was the most cunning person he ever met but didn't know whether that was her or her semblance. Either way, he watched from the sidelines.

Ebony's eyes were cold as she looked at the person before her. " _Alexandrite. She's not important. She's in the way,"_

"Talk about an unexpected visit. Why are you all here?" Alexandrite asked but received no response from any of them.

Then, a flash of the blade.

Ebony wasted no time in unsheathing Trois Reines and striking Alexandrite diagonally down her body. The sudden attack damaged the surprised, but ecstatic sovereign's aura. She's been waiting for real action for weeks.

A head-on attack. The Charming Vantablack was going to use force.

Alexandrite was unfazed by the blow yet she stood there like she was stunned. What was this sensation? This pulsing through her veins? Her heartbeat was racing and a deranged, crooked grin grew on her face. She's been missing this for so long. Alexandrite found a worthy challenge! She swiftly reached for her opponent.

With a strong grip on her neck, Ebony was lifted into the air then thrown to the side, seeing nothing but a blur and feeling nothing until her back and left shoulder smacks into a stone building. She got back up and took notice of the citizens who didn't flee from the battle.

The people of Corona watched in awe of their queen, cheering for her, having full confidence in her inevitable victory. After all, the settlement of Corona was only ruled by the strongest.

The thudding sound of rapid footsteps alerted Ebony to her opponent moving toward her. Alexandrite had her massive polearm drawn and was ready to run it through her enemy. Ebony immediately sprung to her feet and rolled out of the way, dodging the spearhead as she felt it pass her body and heard it pierce the stone wall behind her. She landed right beside Alexandrite's legs and quickly changed Trois Reines from sword to spear. Swinging her weapon at the back of Alexandrite's knees, she watched as the Bedazzled Behemoth buckle and fall.

"Aren't you going to help her?" Zinnia heard Brenton asked. So he was concerned?

"She wanted to prove her loyalty to you by overthrowing Alexandrite by herself," she answered, not keeping her eyes off the fight.

"That's insane, even for her! Alexandrite isn't some pushover. She should know that! Royal chose her to be his partner for a reason," he thought, thinking Ebony might be in over her head.

It took everything Zinnia had no to intervene. She was respecting Ebony's wish, but seeing her friend fighting and not getting involved was nerve-racking. Reason over instinct. That was the only thing keeping her at bay.

Crystal armor formed around Alexandrite's body. Her semblance was active and she used it to protect herself from incoming attacks. She turned to continue engaging Ebony, but the thunderous sound of gunfire and a powerful force sent her back to the ground, kneeling on one knee and feeling a breach in her armor. The crystal was breaking apart on her right shoulder where the gunshot hit her and Ebony stood over her with her scabbard rifle aimed at her.

How powerful were those shots?

Hands holding her up, Alexandrite created a crystal wall around her, erecting it between her and Ebony who backed away from the sudden move and fired again. Her shot was able to crack the wall, but no further. Alexandrite made sure to reinforce what she made now that she acknowledged Ebony's strength. She swung her halberd and smashed through the crystal wall, sending shards straight at Ebony who deflected them by spinning her spear. Back on her feet, Alexandrite braced herself for a grueling battle.

"Are you really that scared of me?" Ebony called out to Alexandrite who was taken by surprise. No one ever called her scared. She was fearless.

"What?!" she growled at the girl who dared to say that.

"Why don't you drop the armor, unless you're actually afraid you need protection from me," Ebony taunted and her goading seemed to work.

Alexandrite deactivated her semblance, shattering the blue armor around her body. Enraged and insulted, she charged toward Ebony. Three swings, two horizontal and the third were vertical, but Ebony deftly avoided them all. She backed away from the first two and stepped to the side for the third one then followed through by pivoting her foot to spin and shift Trois Reines back to sword form and struck Alexandrite in the ribcage. Immediately after, Alexandrite felt her head get knocked back by a strong foot to her jaw. Everything was a blur as she tried to get her mind straight, but a sudden jab at her stomach forced her to take a few steps back.

Don't let up. Don't give her an inch. Ebony was continuing her assault against Alexandrite while she was dazed. She doubted the self-proclaimed queen knew a thing about her semblance so it made it very effective in tricking Alexandrite to stripping herself of her armor and best advantage. She knelt down with her back toward Alexandrite after the kick and changed her weapon to a spear again with the polearm extending from the sword hilt which hit her foe's stomach and pushed her back. Ebony jumped with explosive force, armed with her weapon and turning to face her enemy, she swung down Trois Reines against Alexandrite's shoulder. The force of the blow knocked the Bedazzled Behemoth to the ground.

Grace, cunning, and power. Those were the keywords for Ebony's display. The citizens who were once cheering for their queen were left in silent disbelief at the flow of the battle.

Brenton was just as surprised. Thinking back to the childish, playful girl she was, he couldn't believe the Charming Vantablack could be this strong.

Training beside Ebony all this time has made Zinnia aware of her prowess in battle. The Paragon could say she was on par with some of the strongest people she has ever fought. Many training bouts turned to real fights and both sides were always left exhausted. In this fight, Zinnia could tell Ebony wasn't fighting like she usually did. She was being fluid in her movements, acting and reacting according to Alexandrite and her abilities. Just like when they fought, Ebony was highly adaptive.

That blow did a number on Alexandrite's aura, but the warrior didn't intend to stay down. The moment she fell, she lifted herself with her left arm while thrusting her halberd with her right, striking Ebony's shoulder and pushing her back several meters. Irritation and bliss. How could one feel both at the same time? Alexandrite was grateful for Ebony's arrival.

The battle was still hers. Ebony knew this as she got back on her feet. Her aura was strong, she could continue the fight. Charm was more for social interactions, but it had a few uses in combat. Like now.

"How can someone so strong need to rely on a weapon to face her enemies? Are you that pathetic?! I thought you were the one who surpassed Royal? Show it!" she shouted while using Charm.

Grinding her teeth and falling for Ebony's taunting, Alexandrite tossed her massive halberd aside and charged for her opponent in a reckless manner.

Her semblance, her weapon, and her common sense were stripped away by Charm. Everything was aligned for Ebony to claim victory and she didn't plan on showing mercy.

A flurry of jabs came to Alexandrite as she rushed to Ebony. She was so full of openings, it was hard for her not to strike the large woman. Repetitive thrusts bore into Alexandrite's aura, but it wasn't enough to down her. Swinging her spear down, Ebony slammed the blunt end of her polearm against Alexandrite's head, bringing the proud sovereign to her knees. No mercy.

Alexandrite felt her head spinning after taking such a heavy blow. In a daze and feeling her aura waning made her realize the situation. She was losing, badly and embarrassingly. How could she perform so poorly? Despite all her experiences, she was fighting like a novice in front of her people. Looking their way, she could see the shock in their eyes and their open-mouthed disbelief.

Why did she abandon her weapon? Why didn't she use her semblance? Those questions were finally burgeoning in her head, but that was as far as she was able to go. All she heard before everything went black was gunfire and she felt immense pain in her chest.

It was over and in a much shorter time than he expected. The lizard faunus looked at the sight before him. Ebony, with her scabbard rifle, standing over an unconscious Alexandrite. The Bedazzled Behemoth's back was to him. Her slumped body proved she wasn't moving anytime soon. She had done it. He couldn't tell what kind of face he was making. He didn't expect her to conquer such an opponent without help like Zinnia or Monochrome. He was half-expecting to see her use some trickery or an underhanded ploy to triumph. She didn't need to.

Ebony did exactly what she said she'd do. In less than a day, she took down the sovereign of Corona and usurped a settlement in his name. Corona was hers.

It was still hard to describe. The people were welcoming them as he walked to the royal castle with Ebony and Zinnia. They were praising the young girl who bested their queen. Ther shifting loyalties was not something he enjoyed, but it did make the job easier.

"All hail the black-haired queen!" Chants like those were the most common. Brenton hated it and it was one of the reasons he needed to changed Corona for the better.

Inside the sovereign's chamber, nostalgia was filling Brenton's chest. This was where everything began for him. He hasn't been n here since he met Ebony and he betrayed Royal. He has experienced a lot of things in-between then and now.

"I thought this place had a throne," Zinnia stated as she searched the large room. Alexandrite changed the decorum quite a bit. There were more riches but they were scattered around instead of being in a pile and there was no throne to be seen.

"I don't need one. Playing tyrant is not my style," Brenton responded while looking around. He already had some ideas to make this place less intimidating.

"This place will be in great hands," Ebony complimented, "Make sure you guide these people right. They need to drop Royal's shortsighted mindset."

After defeating Alexandrite, Ebony told the people of Corona she fought on behalf of Brenton, making him the one to rule. Many were who shared their disagreement with her decision, remembering how he betrayed the founder and first king of their home. He knew this was not an easy task to do. It was near impossible.

Brenton has learned an important thing about Ebony Vantablack: For her, even the impossible was simple.

Spinning her words with Charm made it all too easy for the masses to see things her way. They welcomed Brenton with open arms. She made sure they spread the word to all the citizens and to those outside their borders. She wanted everyone to know what happened.

"Well, Corona is yours. I hope you rule it well, Sovereign Brenton Drake," Ebony said with a sorrowful tone. She turned to leave.

" _Why was she leaving?"_ Brenton wondered. Zinnia followed but glanced at him as she passed. The deal was he'd stay if she overthrew Alexandrite and she did, so why was she leaving? Did she plan on giving it to him and expect nothing in return?

She opened the chamber doors and left. She couldn't be serious...right?

"Shit!" he cursed.

"Are you sure about this? You guys made a deal," Zinnia asked her friend. She didn't know what Ebony was doing not sealing the deal.

"It's better this way. I know we made an agreement, but I'm not sure he'll still want to work by my side anymore. People rarely do when they learn about my semblance." There was that pained look in her eyes.

Zinnia hated it. "I do. That counts for something, doesn't it?"

Ebony turned with her eyes softer and a small smile. "Yes, it does. You're the only one who has still thought of me as a friend and treat normally. Besides from my aunt, but she was insane."

"I guess that makes me third." Both women turned and found the new king walk up to them. Zinnia glanced at her friend and watched him already take the mantle of a ruler. She could see the swagger of his walk. Weirdly enough, she thought it suited him. Much better than it did Royal.

"You're-"

"Did you think you could leave a sovereign in debt? Do you want my reign to start so poorly?" Brenton interrupted her with a smile. "What about our covenant?"

"...Are you sure? How does it look for a ruler to follow someone else?" Ebony asked humorously.

"I'd like to think of it as a change in our group dynamic. Now, you have a Champion who can give you a place to rest and not worry about people knowing about your semblance. Actually, if you tell anyone and they give you trouble, I'll set them straight. Either way, Corona is a safe haven for you, Ebony."

The smile on her face couldn't be missed. Brenton's proposal gave rise to elation that filled her body. He didn't care about her semblance anymore.

"Now that that's settled, walk around the city with me. I want to share my ideas with you guys," Brenton suggested.

Ebony was so grateful to have people like Zinnia and Brenton by her side, but she wondered if things will stay this way once her work was done.

Losing her role as a hero, Ebony planned on walking a slightly darker path to fulfilling her ambitions. She struggled with this choice after her exposure in the kingdom, but she decided on it, nonetheless. Her next objective will take her to the Coliseum.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Tied up and resting in the same room Grayson was held captive in was Alexandrite, sleeping with her back against the wall. She kept resting, undisturbed by the sound of a door opening and closing.

Squatting in front of the sleeping warrior was the one who put her there. Ebony stared at Alexandrite, silently contemplating what to do with her. Brenton didn't want her around and she assumed Alexandrite wouldn't be too happy to see her. She had a few days to figure it out. Placing a hand on her cheek while analyzing her prisoner.

What am I going to do with you?

* * *

 **Violet may not know this, but after the incident in the kingdom, the people of Vacuo gave her a new moniker. Instead of the Violent Flower, she is known as the Scarred Flower. It didn't matter to her if it was better or worse because Violet doesn't like monikers.**


	51. Villainess

**A/N: Happy New Year! Here's the first chapter of 2020!**

* * *

 **Setting: Coliseum**

Flames spread everywhere and the air was filled with smoke. The field was hazy, but Zinnia could see the Deathstalker come her way. She found it emerging through the fire that engulfed the arena. She aimed her whip-sword at it and extended the blade straight at the monster. She used Armaments, cloaking her weapon in her aura to increase its power. She knew this was enough. Her blade pierced right through the Grimm without resistance, slaying it with ease.

"This is so mundane. I must like you a lot if I'm helping you with this," she thought as she looked at the vanishing Grimm.

Suddenly, a spire of blue flames erupted in a corner of the Coliseum. Many Grimm were burnt to a crisp and at the center of the fire was Brenton, using Boost to wreak devastation. He no longer saw the Grimm. They were reduced to ash. The ground around him was severely scorched along with the corner of the arena behind him. Looking back, he could see his flames did some scarring damage to the seating. He sighed in satisfaction. It was exactly what he wanted.

The Grimm and the Coliseum were Royal's legacy. His first act as Corona's sovereign was to tear it all down and relieve his citizens of the past. He'll burn it all away.

Eight more Grimm were killed. Beowolves and Creepers bisected by Trois Reines. Ebony had a determined look as she fought. She was irritated. These flames and this heat was ridiculous. She couldn't stop herself from sweating all over her body and it was disgusting. A hard day's work was something she never shied away from, but Brenton was making the entire battle unbearable.

Was it really necessary to turn the whole Coliseum into a furnace? Brenton sure did love overkill.

Scanning the area, she couldn't see Zinnia or Brenton. They were fighting their own battles and she had hers. looking above, she found a Manticore trying to escape or attack the citizens. "I thought we took out all the flying ones,"

"Monochrome! Lift!" she shouted and her loyal Champion flew to her aid. It flew down to her side ungracefully but it stretched its arm so she could jump on it. With extraordinary strength, Monochrome hurled Ebony into the air, sending her straight toward the Manticore. She had her sword and her scabbard in both arms as she approached the backside of the unsuspecting Grimm.

Her blade ran deep into its back, causing the beast to howl in pain. Immediately after, she pointed her scabbard rifle next to her blade and pulled the trigger. Two shots and the Manticore's midsection was obliterated. Her work was done. She jumped off what remained of the Grimm as it disintegrated and fell back down to Remnant. The fall wasn't scary even if her back was to the ground and her silver eyes were on the smoky skies. There was nothing to worry about. A pair of cold metallic arms caught her and she saw the faceless visor of Monochrome.

Zinnia, Brenton, and Monochrome. She knew she could always rely on them.

The skirmish was over, though Zinnia preferred to call it a massacre. All the Grimm were wiped out with the Coliseum left in shambles. It still stood which was unacceptable to Brenton. She could see his scrunched up face once the smoke cleared.

He activated Boost a second time and grabbed Oathburner. An arm was raised in front of him and he turned to Ebony who stopped his advance. "Why?"

"That's a bit much even for you," she told him. Pulling out her scroll, she opened the command set for Monochrome. This wasn't an ordinary order. It required manual input. Luckily, it was simple.

 _Destroy the Coliseum._

Monochrome transformed both its arms into cannons and fired ten missiles from it. They projectiles collided with multiple sections of the Coliseum were destroyed. Stones were sent flying all around, inside and outside the structure. Brenton hoped his people listened to his command to stay far away from the Coliseum. He did not need to worry about any casualties.

"Give Chromy an hour and this place will be reduced to rubble," Ebony assured her royal friend. She wrapped her arms around his and pulled him away from the building that was going to be no more.

It has been several days since Ebony usurped the throne for him and he has been doing everything he could to change this place for the better. She's been helping every step of the way and he couldn't be more grateful, but something about her actions made him wonder.

What were her plans? After everything that happened and everything she worked for vanished, what was her next move?

"I have something in mind. Don't worry about me," she told him and he was completely thrown off. She knew what he was thinking.

"Do you mind if I ask what it is?" he dared to ask.

"Not at all. Zinnia, you listen too," she called out to her confidant who walked beside them.

"The new mission is to-"

"Your Majesty!" a voice called out. All three of them looked to find a young woman approach them.

Being called Majesty was still new to Brenton. He hadn't fully adjusted to his new position and it showed with his reactions. He stiffened his spine, bit his lower lip, and averted his gaze downward. Unbecoming attitude for a sovereign. Zinnia couldn't help but chuckle. Despite his appearance, she knew Brenton was a ball of nerves.

Ebony tilted her head to the citizen, telling her friend to speak with her first.

"Y-yes. What is it?" Brenton asked, taking the proper mantle of king.

"Are all the Grimm under the Coliseum gone?" she asked and he nodded. "Good, but there was something you should know. There are more Grimm out there."

"More? Where?"

"They're not in Corona, but they were Grimm Royal wanted to add to his collection. He just never got around to capturing them. I thought you should know," she informed him.

"Grimm Royal wanted…" Brenton pondered. "If there were Grimm he wanted for himself, then they're obviously dangerous."

"What are we going to do about it?" Ebony asked leaning against his shoulder. She was already involving herself.

"Sooner or later, those things will come to haunt us. Maybe we should do something about them," Brenton suggested then turned to the woman. "We'll take them down."

"As you wish, your Highness. Thank you, your Highness!" She walked away making Brenton feel even more uncomfortable.

Highness. Majesty. He was still not used to those titles.

 **Setting: Brenton's Chambers**

Searching through what remained of Royal's things was more difficult than any of them imagined. The man didn't really keep a lot of things for practicality and many of his possessions were either kept by Alexandrite or discarded. Rifling through junk to find anything pertaining to the Grimm, Brenton was frustrated with his predecessor's lack of tidiness.

"He sighed deeply, "Find anything?"

"Nothing," Ebony answered.

"All I found were jewels and gems," Zinnia replied as she tossed them aside.

"So, Royal wasn't one for keeping notes or logging anything into a planner? " Ebony stated. "Guess there's only one thing we can do: ask around for any noteworthy Grimm."

"That's all we can do," Brenton said, pinching his nose in frustration. "I'll ask around and see who heard about any serious Grimm-related problems."

"I would think a king would order his followers to come to him," Zinnia wondered.

"I'm more of the 'hands-on' type of ruler. I'll ask around."

"We'll need to widen our circle. Zinnia and I will take the airship and go to other settlements. They might know something," Ebony told him and he nodded.

Both women walked to the airship and one of them had a question for the other. The Paragon was just as curious as Brenton on their leader's next move. She was all for helping, but she still wanted to know what she was helping with.

"You didn't finish telling us what your plan is," Zinnia told Ebony. The Charming Vantablack smiled at the question and that caused Zinnia to raise an eyebrow. What was so funny?

"Well, my desire to be a diplomat turned revolutionary hero didn't pan out." She could only laugh at her own statement, but Zinnia knew her well enough to know it hurts. Ebony put a lot of hard work and effort into her plans. "I have something else in mind, though you may be against it."

"What is it?" Zinnia had a more serious expression. The change in the atmosphere happened quickly.

"It's a very direct route. In order to make a permanent name for myself in Vacuo, I have to defeat the ones who stand at the top. Simple as that."

"Who stands at the top?"

"The ones in the mind of everyone in Vacuo right now."

 **Setting: Nexus**

Remus stood at the top of a building with a grin on his face. He looked up to the sky, getting a glimpse of the sun in his gaze. The brightness of the blazing orb in the sky paled in comparison to the shine in Remus's soul. He was too happy to show off.

"Ready!?" he shouted and immediately used Checkpoint. He vanished in a puff of blue smoke and in his place was SIlver whose face was utterly shocked. In a panic, he looked at his surroundings and realized he was on a roof.

"What the f-" He looked down to see Remus standing where he once stood with the other members of VRSZ, Clair, and her Enforcers. Everyone looked rather impressed with what they saw. It was proof Violet and Remus's time at Shade Academy wasn't wasted.

"Holy shit! That was badass!" Silver shouted in excitement. He jumped off the roof and landed on the ground near everyone. "What else did you guys learn?"

"Besides Remus's Round Robin and my trick, nothing much. We just kept improving, meaning you two better not slow us down," she chuckled lightly.

"Please, we wouldn't slack off. Zelts and I have been doing our own thing while you were gone. Zelts and Bianca made sure of that," he commented, pointing to the two behind him.

" _Being on my way, I got to make sure you guys can take care of yourselves,"_ Zelts thought. He wanted to make sure VRSZ could function without their shield. It was a bittersweet wish.

"That's good to know. You're still reliable," Violet continued to joke.

"More reliable than you," Silver countered, lifting his scroll, showing a picture of her and Remus kissing. It was the same photo Sapphire took.

Her face turned a deep shade of red and her body stiffened. This picture. Seen. By. Everyone.

" _Someone, kill me,"_ she thought, mentally retreating to the far corners of her mind. She wanted to run away from everyone and pay Sapphire back for this.

"L-l-let's..." she tried to speak but she was too flustered to speak properly, much to Silver's delight. Clair kept her amusement under wraps. She didn't want to incur the inevitable wrath of Violet Tulipe. Silver made his glee known as he laughed in her face.

" _He's dead,"_ Zelts, Blood, Ghost, Bianca, and Azura thought at the same time. " _There's no saving him,"_

"Anyway!" Violet was finally able to say, "There's something we need to talk about. Theodore left Ebony in our hands," she addressed Clair. "She's in Corona where she and her group overthrew Alexandrite a few days ago. They've got full control."

The jovial atmosphere vanished.

"What are we going to do about her? She's your cousin and she's done a lot to all of us," Violet informed her friend.

The Lady of Nexus turned her gaze to the sand beneath their feet. She knew this was coming. Sooner or later, she and Ebony would have to clash one final time.

Manipulation and extortion were her crimes against them and the kingdom. Using VRSZ as her soldiers and the kingdom as her bodyguards, pitting them against each other. All so her dream could be realized. Her drive was unreal, yet so much like a Vantablack. This is what they're capable of when she stop hiding in the shadows and walk into the light. Despite everything she has done, Clair was impressed with her, but that didn't change the fact that Ebony needed to be stopped.

"We'll take care of her," Clair told Violet, everyone, in a very serious tone.

"How?" Violet asked.

"By any means necessary," she answered and walked away with her Enforcers trailing behind her.

"That was ominous," Zelts stated as he watched them leave.

"Fine by me," Silver added, "She's made our lives horrible. Let her get what she deserves."

Remus wasn't sure what needed to be done. Was there more they could do than just stop her plans? Witnessing everything she's done, he doesn't know if Ebony will stop.

"Hey, guys," Violet called her boys, "head back home. I need to talk to Clair about this whole thing."

She didn't give them a moment to respond as she walked to the Nexus council building. This was a matter that needed to be discussed between both parties. After all, Ebony has been involved in all of their lives.

 **Setting: Nexus Council Building**

"Is VRSZ on a need-to-know basis about your plans with Ebony?" Violet asked Clair once she reached her office.

It was only the two of them inside with the Enforcers informing the council members about Ebony. Everyone needed to be prepared. Clair stood in front of her desk with her back to her best friend. She pinched the bridge of her nose in minor frustration, wanting to avoid this conversation. That was the reason she came here, but Violet pursued her anyway.

"You know it's not like that. It's just better to avoid the explicit details of what's going to happen in the future."

"But what are you going to do about her because there are only two options: stop her plans or kill her," Violet stated, bringing up the option Clair was doing her best not put into words.

Clair turned to Violet with sad eyes. The Scarred Flower could see her friend had no idea what to do. Having to look at Clair so troubled about a decision pained her because she knew what she was going through. Just like in Atlas. How can you confront family?

"I can't tell you what the right call is, but I can give you some advice," Violet started so Clair could pay attention, "My real- I mean my biological family rips each other to shreds on a daily basis. All so they can claim power for themselves. I kept my nose out of it for so long, and I thought I was better for it, but when I was left in a room with my father... I wanted to kill him. I was going to kill him, but a heart attack saved me from spilling his blood. Even if I didn't do it, the fact that I was going through with it still weighed on me."

The memory of that day flashed in her mind and she closed her eyes to make it go away.

"I hated him. From the bottom of my heart, I hated him. He was terrible. He let my mother die, saw me as nothing but a pawn, and did everything he could to crush my spirit, but the idea of killing a family member, even someone as despicable as him, didn't make me feel any better. Just numb. And when I came to realize what I was about to do, I felt like a monster."

She paused for a moment to stop herself from thinking about it. She sighed then looked at Clair who appeared more attentive. It seemed she was ready to support Violet if she was going to break down. Violet wondered how she looked when she shared her experience in Atlas.

"Whether it was right or wrong cannot be said, but that feeling will never go away. If you are going to go through with it, just be prepared to bear it," Violet finished.

Was her advice helpful? She didn't know. All she saw was Clair back into her desk and lean against it. Her head was down, but her face didn't seem confused anymore. If Violet had to guess, she believed Clair was contemplating a complex problem and was slowly reaching her answer. Clair raised her head and looked at Violet with eyes no longer clouded by doubt or fear.

Did she find her answer?

"Thank you, Vi. I think I know what I'm going to do," Clair told her with a sincere smile.

"Do you want to tell me what you're going to do?" Violet asked curiously. After all, Ebony was her enemy too.

"I'll let everyone know, during dinner. Head home. I'll be there shortly," she told Violet with a warm smile.

Even if she had to bear it for the rest of her life, Clair felt like her decision was the right one.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

There were rumors of Grimm causing more than their fair share of trouble in Vacuo. Ebony and Zinnia were able to gather intel about two of them after flying into a small town and conversing with some of the townsfolk. With new information, they return to Corona to add Brenton into their ranks and better themselves for a confrontation.

Usually, Ebony had the airship on autopilot. Brenton always volunteered to fly and she did so every now and then, but she wanted to test something she just thought of. She watched from the cockpit's door to see Monochrome piloting the airship. She added a new personalized command for him to operate her vehicle and it was working smoothly. All she needed to do was put in the command then the destination. Monochrome took care of everything else.

"I'm so glad I purchased you," she said fondly before walking away.

She wound up where everyone goes in this airship: the common area. There she saw Zinnia standing by the window with her back to her. She seemed to be focusing on the open desert around them. A devilish smile worked its way onto Ebony's face.

A war machine was flying their airship. That was insane in Zinnia's mind. Monochrome was only great at destroying, something she witnessed when the Coliseum was no more, and now it had complete control of their ride. She wasn't too happy about that and she kept close to the large windows in case she needed to make an emergency exit.

"This can't be safe... This can't be-"

She suddenly felt a hand on her thigh and felt it move up to her waist and a faint breath on her neck.

"You know you're lovely when you're focused," Ebony whispered into Zinnia's ear.

The Paragon couldn't take a step back with the windows and Ebony sandwiching her, so she quickly turned around to face her teasing liege. She was really close to her face, but Zinnia was not amused.

"This isn't funny,' Zinnia told her leader.

"It was to me and seeing you react like that was totally worth it," she retorted while giving her friend a wink.

Still not amused, Zinnia walked away to get some space, hearing Ebony giggle behind her back. It was harmless fun but at her expense. She needed to change the topic. "How's your new guest? Is she less likely to attack us once she's set free?"

"Alex hasn't seemed to calm down. If I let her go, this whole place will need to be remodeled. We'll have to be a bit more patient if we want her to be cooperative," Ebony answered.

That answered one question, but Zinnia had another. A more important question. "Ebony, you told me what your endgame was, but how does exterminating Grimm get you what you want?" She was tired of playing catch up to Ebony's plans.

"Simple. Our exploits will let them know where we are and they'll come to us. And we'll finish them for good."

"...Are you sure you want to go this route? Once you do, there's no going back." Zinnia warned and it caused Ebony to turn to her. Her playful air was gone.

"I'm okay with that. It's not like I could remain a diplomat forever. Sooner or later, I'd have to take aggressive actions to reach my dream. I'm ready to be a potential villain... or a villainess. Are you sure you want to go this route with me? As you said, there's no going back."

Zinnia approached Ebony and stood by her side. "I'm coming as insurance. Just to make sure you don't go too far off the deep end."

"Thanks. And I'm sure his Highness will feel the same," Ebony cracked one last joke, knowing Brenton was still new to his title. "But yes. I'm ready to take them down."

Zinnia looked to the desert before them and muttered, "To the ones in the mind of everyone in Vacuo."

Ebony finished her statement, "Team VRSZ."


	52. Fanning the Flames

**Setting: Destroyed Town**

The moon shined brightly in the dark sky, peacefully illuminating the world below. The sight was serene and lovely until wood and stone flew into its view and the quiet night was filled with an angry shrill shriek. Flying through the air before crash landing onto two ruined buildings was a large but slim Grimm.

Its appearance was very insect-like, resembling a large butterfly. Its wings were the largest part of its body and their design could only be described as frightening. The patterns gave the faintest idea of three pairs of reddish-yellow eyes staring deep into one's soul. The rest of its body was covered in bone plating and its real eyes were the same red like the ones on its wings. It's six legs were long but thin, appearing very delicate but still strong enough to hold up such a large body. It was beautiful and nightmarish at the same time.

The massive Grimm released another shriek before releasing long, thick silk thread that was pure black. The silk kept going until it was sliced to ribbons by two blades. Opposing the monster was Ebony and Zinnia.

"What is this thing called? I've never heard of a Grimm like this?" Ebony asked Zinnia as she reached for her scabbard.

"It might be a new species. Maybe once this is over you can give it a name," Zinnia answered before activating Armaments.

The Grimm flapped its massive wings, stirring the wind and creating a powerful gust, blowing through half of the town. It took to the sky.

"I'd like that… Shit. Out of range. You got this?" Ebony asked her partner once the Grimm was airborne.

Zinnia cloaked her whip-sword in her aura and lashed at the butterfly above. The distance was between them was great, but thanks to her semblance, she greatly extended the reach of her weapon. Her aura took the shape of her weapon and it reached the Grimm, slashing its small body. She could tell she did some damage but not enough to truly hurt it, but now she knew she could still reach it. Pulling back her weapon to make another long-distance attack, the Grimm also attacked as well.

Something began to fall from its wings with every beat. Small particles that were faintly glowing red began to descend on the area and most of the town. Zinnia and Ebony looked up curiously, watching the particles fall and the horrid sight of the butterfly's wing patterns like the eyes of a gargantuan monster looking down upon them.

"Cover your mouth! Keep it shut!" Ebony shouted to Zinnia before she did the same. In response, the Paragon grabbed her cloak and ripped the edge twice. She gave one sliver to Ebony and tightly wrapped the other one over her nose and mouth.

The red particles descended as the butterfly Grimm remained in its position and continued to unleash this unusual attack.

"Zinnia! Get in here, quick!" Ebony called out as she stood at the doorway of a building. She waited for her friend who dashed in and she shut the door. behind her. The particles harmlessly fell on the floor. "There's a high chance that stuff is poisonous."

"That would explain why this place is a ghost town. I can find a way to maneuver around the poison, but it'll be tricky. Wait here." She walked over to the stairs to get to the second floor, but she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"No need to risk your life for something like this. Let me take care of it," Ebony assured her.

"Do you have any method to get around the poison?" Zinnia asked and Ebony whipped out her scroll.

Still releasing its poisonous scales, the butterfly Grimm waited for its prey to die ut until it felt tremendous pain stemming from its side. Something slammed against it then it felt its body being burned as lightning was unleashed shocking and singing its wings while also stopping it from producing more scales.

Whatever was assaulting it stopped but the Grimm found something on the right side of its vision, flying in its direction. It saw Monochrome engaging it. The droid opened its salvo and fired nine of its missiles at the Grimm's face, hitting it directly with each one, then it shifted its left arm into a lance. It fired the lance and it bored through one of the wings, causing the large insect to lose its ability to fly.

Inside the building, both women heard the short battle along with a tremorous crash as the butterfly Grimm fell onto three buildings. "I think it's over," Ebony said with confidence.

She cracked the front door open and found none of the scales in the air anymore. Waving at Zinnia it was okay, the two were able to see Monochrome soaring in the air with the Grimm on the ground with a large, sharp piece of wood impaling its middle. Its body began to dissolve as it breathed its last breath.

"That was anticlimactic," Zinnia stated plainly as she watched the Grimm dissolve.

"It's called fighting smart. If something uses poison, retaliate with something that's immune to poison," Zinnia said as she motioned to Monochrome who continued to hover in the air. "I'm so glad I bought it."

"You sound like a proud mother… or a bragging consumer," Zinnia laughed.

"Wow! Zinnia Underland! You actually cracked a joke! I guess I'm finally rubbing off on you!" Ebony wrapped her arm around Zinnia's shoulder and chuckled as she guided her friend back to their airship. The red-haired could only roll her eyes and sigh humorously. She picked quite a person as her partner.

"It's a shame Brenton wasn't able to join us," Zinnia said as she looked to the sky. "Eliminating these Grimm was his task as sovereign, but I guess being a ruler does take other priorities."

"True. The poor thing is probably all cooped up in his palace taking care of mundane tasks, but that's the price you pay for wearing a crown… metaphorically," Ebony added in an impish tone.

"Can't feel bad for him. He wanted this, right?" Zinnia added with a smirk as they boarded their vehicle with Monochrome silently following behind.

The airship flew through the sky with Monochrome as its pilot. Despite reveling in their victory, Zinnia was still unease with their non-sentient comrade flying the vehicle. Would seeing a random Grimm send it to attack mode and abandon its duty? Would it dive-bomb the airship just to kill its enemy!?

A pair of hands wrapped around her waist and Zinnia's worries were replaced with annoyance, yet again. Now she knew how Brenton felt on a daily basis. "I thought you only fancied men?"

"Who says 'fancy' anymore? You're so old-fashioned, but I love it. And the answer to your question is yes. I'd rather have a handsome man, but Zinnia Underland is an amazing find in her own right." She rested her head on the crook of her friend's neck and took in her scent. It was strong but reassuring.

"Thanks for the interest, but I'm not interested in women," she said as she moved Ebony's arms from her waist.

"That's fine with me, but I still get to enjoy moments like these. Agreed?"

"..." Zinnia didn't say anything for a moment. "That's the second Grimm we've killed based on the rumors. There are only three more Grimm left, correct?"

She could practically feel Ebony pouting. Changing subjects wasn't what she wanted. Zinnia smiled as her friend broke their embrace. Her childish attitude was back. Things were back to normal.

"Three's all that's left. I hope our little escapade is catching VRSZ's attention. To say they have a grudge against us- I mean me is an understatement. Sooner or later, they'll come for me and we'll take them down, showing they aren't as unstoppable as everyone thinks."

"Unstoppable doesn't describe them, but our goal is very difficult. Defeating my cousin and her team is powerful, individually and even more so as a unit. We'll have to fight together and fight smart to beat them."

They are strong, but so are we. You are on par with Violet, if not stronger than her, Brenton's flames are unquenchable, and Monochrome is... Monochrome. And I'm in a class all on my own! Enough said."

"Such a strong argument," Zinnia said sarcastically, "But I do believe you. Our group is capable."

"Let's hold this talk once we get to Corona. Our kingly friend waits for our report," Ebony said in a whispered tone for dramatic effect, but all she got was a head shake.

" _Is it like this for Violet and Clair?"_ Zinnia wondered.

What was this weird bond between Underlands and Vantablacks?

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

"WILL YOU KNOCK IT OFF?!" Violet's voice could be heard three blocks away.

"I'm just trying to wake you up.," Clair purred in delight.

The sight was compromising. The pair of best friends were in the same bed and Violet felt Clair's hands groping her entire body and her legs purposely wrap around hers. She clearly didn't want Violet worming her way out of this. The smirk of the Vantablack's face only made the Underland's redder. A pair of hands was slowly reaching her chest and that was the limit.

"The hell is with all the-" Silver asked, slamming Violet's bedroom door open.

This wake-up call was too early and unwanted by the gunslinger. Sleeping in was one of his favorite pastimes and his leader was ruining it with her outburst. His irritated face shifted to curiosity when he found Clair and the form they were in. He stared at them silently for a few seconds.

Silver turned around and shut the door.

"Guess that problem solved itself," Clair said with her hand casually on Violet's chest. "Mmm… Surprisingly-" She felt an elbow pressed against her cheek and her body lifted higher up. When did she loosen her grip? It didn't matter. Her fun was over.

"Are all of you Vantablacks perverted freaks or something?!"

The coffee table had plates filled with scrambled eggs, toast with jam or butter, and a side of roasted tomatoes, a rare find in the trading district. There were mugs with water and juice and a hand grabbed one firmly and it was brought to a pair of lips.

A few gulps and Violet dropped her cup, still upset with her morning. Her boys watched her face as her famous scowl showed up. Their eyes flitted to Clair who tiptoed into the room with a delightful hum and a song in her heart. She sat down next to Violet on the couch and the Flower scooted a few inches away from her. They half expected another tantrum but their leader held herself back considerably.

Their friendship was odd. Utterly odd.

"I slept like a baby last night. How about all of you?" She was trying to dump gas on a lit fire.

Clair eyed all of them to see who would take the bait, but none of them did. She glanced at Zelts who averted his eyes, refusing to give her his acknowledgment. Her next target was Silver, the man who never missed a chance to poke fun at Violet, and he purposely brought his breakfast plate to his face. She couldn't see him and he succeeded in blocking his view of her and rendering himself unable to speak with eggs and tomatoes in his mouth. He wasn't poking that bear, fearing Violet's fury if he so much as breathed funny. Next was Remus, but he froze like a rabbit when her eyes landed on him. Like an animal sensing danger, even he knew saying anything would be bad.

There was no fun to be had here.

"Can we discuss how we are going to take down Ebony?" Violet brought up brashly. She wanted Clair's prank to be over. "We know she's been going around and killing Grimm, but she always returns to Corona. That's where we'll find her and we can formulate a plan to take her down."

"Facing her is inevitable, but our planning will have to be sound," Zelts added. "She's been one step ahead of us every time. Our victory against her was huge, but that was the only one we ever had."

"And we've fought her a lot," Remus realized. Ebony's Champions and VRSZ have clashed many times. "They're a very high-level enemy."

"No kidding. Each person with her is insane. Can we even compete?" Silver wondered as he played with his cup.

"Don't forget, you'll have the full support of the Enforcers on your side, Clair added.

"We are going to beat them. It doesn't matter what they're plotting," Violet declared with absolute certainty. Her resolver bolstered the others and they couldn't disagree with her.

They'll put an end to Ebony and her schemes.

 **Setting: Brenton's Chamber**

"And that's when we heard Monochrome deliver the final blow. The big bug was impaled by a part of a building," Ebony told Brenton.

He sat in his pull-out chair that served as his substitute throne until he acquired a real one. It was… something no one said a thing about because it was too easy to insult him for it. Brenton watched Ebony explain everything like a parent listening to their child explain their day. She was full of her usual energy which was a good sign.

"All of that happened? I wish I was there to help," Brenton said woefully. He felt a little fed up being stuck in Corona to make sure everyone was treated fairly. It was absolutely necessary, but it was boring the warrior within him. He understood a bit of what Alexandrite felt.

"I promise, you'll be with us for the next one. It's not the same without all three of us," Ebony reaffirmed.

"For now, we rest the day then we gather the latest info on our next target. Remember, these Grimm are extraordinarily strong and they're unknown. We get everything prepared, understood?" Zinnia chimed in, sounding like the authoritative figure of the group.

"Yes, ma'am," Ebony sighed like an exasperated kid tired of her mother's nagging.

 **Setting: Nexus**

It was a new day and a new day meant a new objective: confronting Ebony.

Each member of VRSZ was inside the Fantasia, ready to ride to Corona and end the long struggle between them and Ebony. Silver took the wheel while the others made sure they were well equipped for the upcoming battle.

Violet made sure she was fully stocked with Enigmas. Throwing knives in her bag, sleeves, legs, and in her boots. She was prepared for a fight. Remus shifted Delta between its forms to make sure the transition was smooth. He had no difficulty handling his weapon, seeing it as an extension of his body. Zelts sat in the back and was meditating, steeling himself for the last mission. Once this was over, once the threat of Ebony was gone, he planned to move to Patch to see Lily.

The silence in the air. No one saying anything to anyone. This was a serious mission that none of them took lightly.

Their departure was as silent as their preparation. Clair wasn't there to wish them luck or provide any encouraging words. Today was different.

Fantasia hovered over the desert below and guided them to the inevitable battle. They were ready for the final confrontation with Ebony.

 **Setting: Corona**

"Hail, Brenton!"

"Hail, Brenton!"

"Greetings, sovereign!"

The lizard faunus was still uncomfortable with his new title. He did as much as he could for his people in his few days of being the ruler. Keeping his promise, Brenton discarded the old ways Royal established. He destroyed the Coliseum, treated everyone with kindness, and made sure they were provided. He wanted to do away with any of the 'strong dominating the weak' mentality.

That was his hope, though a part of him wondered if it would stick. He wasn't arrogant like Royal or Alexandrite. In the back of his mind, the notion of someone toppling him and ending his rule kept creeping. Would his defeat mean the people would stop following him? After everything he has done and plans to do, will they forsake him if he loses even once?

With Ebony and Zinnia away gathering more intel, Brenton didn't really have anyone to talk to about this. His people were out of the question, he felt it was too soon to show any sign of weakness or doubt in front of him.

"My sovereign! I have news!"

He turned to find one of his citizens sprint toward him. The young man stopped a few feet in front of him, barely able to keep himself on his feet as he tumbled forward. He was doing his best to catch his breath but he ran quite a distance to get here.

"What could be so important?" Brenton thought.

"I- I'm sorry… for wasting your time… your Highness," the man said as he finished catching his breath.

"Don't worry about it. Take your time and tell me what's so urgent," Brenton told him, reassuringly. He didn't want to appear as an impatient ruler.

"There- there's a vehicle with a group of people coming this way! The sentries found them! They'll be at our border soon. We do we-" Brenton walked forward to the border where the sentry tower was. Whoever was coming was going to be in that direction.

"I'll take care of it."

It didn't take him long to reach the border, but reaching it before the intruders was a failure. As Brenton approached his destination, he found a crowd of people swarming the area. Whispers and murmurs from his citizens told him where his possible opponents were. His subjects took note of his presence and moved out of his way, dividing the crowd in two and making a clear path to the ones who have entered Corona.

Brenton steeled himself. He knew they would come sooner or later. In front of his settlement was the Fantasia and Team VRSZ. They were bound to show themselves eventually.

All four of them stared at Brenton who sighed as he approached him, making sure Oathburner was by his side. He stopped in front of them with no sign of aggression.

"Can I help you?" he said with slight disgust. They weren't here to be friendly.

The one to speak was Violet. "We just want Ebony. Bring her here."

"If I tell you she's not here, will you go away?"

"If I tell you I don't believe you, will you get her for us?" she countered.

"Even if she was here, I wouldn't give her up. That's not my style."

Brenton observed VRSZ, watching Silver slowly move his hands to Fenrir.

"Leave now, and no one gets hurt, got it?" Brenton told them and his response was Remus wielding Delta. Team VRSZ wasn't backing down.

He couldn't turn back, figuratively or literally. Engaging in a battle with all four of them was foolish, but as sovereign, he couldn't appear weak in front of his people. They'd cast him aside immediately. And he couldn't turn his head to make sure they were out of harm's way. If he took his eyes off of VRSZ for a moment, it was over. His mind was made up.

Brenton sighed, "In a weird way, I'm glad Ebony and Zinnia aren't here right now. I can't really go all out without hurting my allies."

He activated Boost and gripped Oathburner. Remus dashed toward him and slashed the lizard faunus chest, but it wasn't enough. Blue flames exploded from Brenton's sword and body, consuming the area and Remus who backed away from the blast, landing far behind the others.

Wasting no effort or time, Brenton aimed Oathburner at the other members and pulled its trigger. A massive torrent of blue flames was headed their way and he watched them get swallowed in the fire.

"Ebony and Zinnia should be coming back soon. Hold them off for as long as I can. That's all I can do,"

The King of Flames burned brightly, dazzling all with his majestic blue flames.


	53. VRSZ The King of Flames: Golden Wind

**Setting: Corona**

Scorched sand, glass, and blue flames were all that lay in front of Brenton. His enemies were gone, their vehicle included, but he knew they weren't finished.

Don't be fooled, don't let up for a moment. They aren't finished. They won't go down that easily,"

Gunfire. Two shots. From above. Brenton flicked his eyes upward to see Silver floating in mid-air with his guns aimed at him and two bullets being fired his way. A swing of Oathburner and he unleashed a wave of blue flames, heading toward Silver. It consumed the bullets, melting them in an instant and were on the mark to hit Silver, but the gunslinger used his semblance to make his body heavier and lowered himself, avoiding the fire altogether.

Beads of sweat were forming on Silver's forehead. That wasn't a good sign. Aura kept them protected from dangerous climates like extreme cold or intense heat, but they certainly took their toll. That's why wearing the appropriate outfit drew away a lot of the burden, but there was nothing that could be done about Brenton's flames. The intensity of the blue flames was so great, its heat eclipsed that of Vacuo itself and he only made them bigger.

The longer the battle progressed, the worse the outcome became for VRSZ.

"Please do something already," Silver said to his allies as he descended into the sand.

Watching Silver go down, Brenton prepared for another swing but felt his head get struck and knocked back, forcing him to take a few steps back. A quick scan of his surroundings and there was nothing around him. He knew immediately what was going on, but felt another blow hit his side. This attack he could see as he found Remus with his foot jammed against his right ribs. Violet and Remus were a dangerous pair, but he knew they weren't the threat in this situation. They were the opening act.

He fought through the pain and brought his arms and greatsword up in front of him as he felt Violet and Remus leave only to feel his arms ring as a large shield smashed into him.

Zelts Allister. He was the real danger.

Sent flying through the air, Brenton braced himself and landed on his feet, skidding through the sand for a few meters before stopping just in front of Corona's borders where his citizens watched in silence.

"Not in front of them. I won't falter in front of them,"

In a rage, the King of Flames unleashed a battle cry and used Boost to power himself even further. Pulling Oathburner's trigger, He released fire, creating a tower of blue flames. It rose high in the sky for all to see. Such proximity to Corona would harm his people, but they were unharmed, feeling nothing but the magnificent heat. The flames spiraled around each other, keeping them from harming anyone.

Dazzling was the only word to describe what Brenton was doing.

"Is the Fantasia okay?" Silver asked Zelts.

"She's got a few marks, but I shielded her from most of the flames," he answered. "She's further back than where we parked."

Violet and Remus looked to the flames as they rose higher and higher. The former could tell this wasn't good, realizing Brenton's aura level must've been enormous. "Guys, we have to finish this now before he overwhelms us. Remus, can you handle it?"

"I'll have to do it quickly, but I can do it."

"Zelts, once he's finished, it's all you," Violet informed her friend who already activated Conversion.

He already knew this was going to happen. With such tremendous flames, the only one who could go toe-to-toe with Brenton was himself. A force of nature against another. He knew if the others got involved, they'd be caught up in the fight. Not incorporating teamwork was not VRSZ's style, but in this instance, it needed to be done.

"I'll be their shield. One more time."

With no hesitation, Violet and Silver marched forward to Corona. "I'm counting on you, big guy," Silver shouted as he ran to the settlement.

Zelts nodded then took a deep breath. He finished absorbing all the dust woven into his clothes and his eyes shone like the brightest gold.

"I'm ready. Do it," he told Remus as he split Heart of Gold into wingblades.

It was the Blue Flicker's turn to take a deep breath as he resonated with his aura and the piece of aura he injected in Brenton from his earlier attack. This was going to hurt. Badly.

Brenton could see nothing but the flames surrounding him. It was a testament to his strength and kept his foes at bay. Prolonging this battle until his team arrived was his goal and so was proving to his people he was fit to rule. He'll let everyone here witness his resolve.

With flames this big, it would simple to send them toward VRSZ and burn them all to-

The rage of fire vanished and there was nothing but blue fog around him.

"What the he-" Brenton was suddenly blasted by tremendous force sending him flying upward.

As he spun through the air, Brenton tried to see where he was. All he could ascertain was his tower of flame and settlement were several miles away. How was he moved from such a distance so easily?

The flaming tower died out with its source of power gone. It soon vanished, revealing someone else in the center. On his hands and knees with sweat fall from every pore in his body, Remus stood where Brenton once did. He could feel it. His aura took a heavy blow for him. If it weren't for the protection it provided, he wouldn't have committed to such a risky move. He laid in front of Corona with several of the people just watching him, wondering what happened to their sovereign, but their answer came with a gale of golden wind.

Another blast struck Brenton, but he could see it this time. Zelts. Using his own wind to carry him into the sky and send another gust Brenton's way, blasting him toward the ground and further away from Corona. He made contact with the desert and the impact did some damage.

On the other side, Zelts could still feel the intense heat from Brenton's body like it was bleeding fire. He was right after all. The only one who can fight the King of Flames head-on was him.

Zelts spun around with his wingblades in hand and created a large, golden tornado that was moving to Brenton's crash site. Before it could reach, blue fire erupted from the spot and clashed with the tornado. The collision caused the tornado to fuel the flames, making them bigger but grow out of control. The flames scattered everywhere except Brenton's location and they changed color.

The gold of Zelts' vortex and the blue of Brenton's inferno, created flames of shining emerald that danced across the desert.

The King of Flames stood with his body glowing from Boost's effect and his eyes were trained on the Knight of the Wind who rotated his body to cloak himself in wind. Then he darted to Brenton, still spinning with wind surrounding him like a torpedo. In response, Brenton fired flames from his revolver and Zelts barreled straight into it. The emerald color returned, enveloping him as he moved through the torrent of fire. He stretched his arms out with his wingblades expanding and releasing the wind around him violently, destroying the flamethrower Brenton created and giving himself a chance to strike back. A swing of both his wingblades stirred violent winds to accompany the blow, but it collided with burning metal instead of flesh. His strike didn't connect with Brenton and all he could see in front of him were fires that changed from blue to green. The same could be said for Brenton. All he saw was the golden wind being enveloped as green flames. They sprayed across the battlefield, reaching several meters before dying out.

" _These flames. I'm not doing this. They're not mine,"_ Brenton realized when he couldn't manipulate them.

There was nothing he or Zelts could do about it. The combined power of golden wind and sapphire flames created this wildfire neither of them could control.

It may have been an intense battle for the two elementals, but it was more of a grand performance for those acting as bystanders. Remus remained where he was after using Round Robin and he was met with Violet and Silver who stayed out of the fight their friend was engaged in. All three of them watched near the borders of Corona with the citizens. They could only stare in awe at the fire, wind, and colors across the desert. It was a work of art from a distance and they could only assume how destructive it really was.

Perhaps there was beauty in destruction?

The details of the battle couldn't be seen from their position, at least not by normal means. Silver was able to make out what was happening, but it wasn't completely clear. His trained marksman eyes were sharp and helped him see further than most people. Remus could see the battle perfectly thanks to the scope of his bionic eye. He noticed every shift, every step between Zelts and Brenton. He thought it was such an epic battle. Violet, however, did not have the same eyesight as these two. She could pick up details and hints better than all of them, but long-distance was not her forte.

Brenton had the advantage on the ground, so Zelts took to the sky, surrounding himself with the wind to propel upward and soar through the open air with his massive blades. See this as his chance, he made sure he flew overhead Brenton, but he noticed the lizard faunus in motion, readying a technique Zelts has seen plenty of times. This was bad. he needed to act quickly.

Oathburner was cloaked in flames before being slammed into the ground. With tremendous power, Brenton released his flames, raising them higher and higher until he created another tower of blue fire. The burning spiral was on its way to Zelts who spun around while upside down. His rotation expanded the wind surrounding him until it grew into a golden tornado with an electric current surging through it. The gale was upside down like its creator and was moving toward the hellfire below until they clashed.

Once again, the blue flames grew bigger thanks to golden wind, leading to the creation of emerald fire that danced everywhere. In the sky and on the ground. Power was unrestrained as each fighter continued unleashing energy to overcome the other. The might of their abilities warped the very landscape itself.

The battle was several miles away from Corona, but the intense heat could be felt by every citizen in the settlement. Despite living in Vacuo, people were beginning to perspire more than usual. The atmosphere was becoming warmer and unbearable. It was felt by those who were witnessing this conflict, but the battle before them was so great they ignored their discomfort to continue watching. No one in VRSZ moved from their spot as they silently watched their friend fight for them.

The tornado and spire of flames finally vanished. Brenton and Zelts were in the same position they had before their attacks collided, but the air was even hotter than before and the entire ground transformed from sand to glass. Neither of them could see not one trace of sand, but they didn't care. All they were focused on was the enemy in front of them.

Boost and Conversion were pushed to the limit with that final attack. Both users were reaching the end of their strength. Putting so much of their aura into their semblances has worn them out considerably. Low aura levels meant it was only a matter of time before they couldn't use their semblances anymore.

The shining gold of Conversion was beginning to dim from Zelts' eyes. Boost was no longer consuming Brenton's body, but its presence was still there, weakly emanating from his body. The flames on Oathburner were changing between orange and blue. The light was fading from both of them. The battle became one of attrition.

He was going to fall. Zelts was falling from the sky and going to land too close to his adversary. Preventing his descent wouldn't be possible at the moment. His muscles were screaming from his last attack so he couldn't do much, but he knew there was one thing he could try, though he doubted it would land. He brought his blades together to reform his shield and he placed it in front of him as he fell, making his own version of Starfall.

Winded. Brenton was feeling his body starting to tire. He put a great deal of strength in that last attack and it wore him out considerably.

" _I can't keep this up. Boost is going to burn out sooner or-"_ Brenton noticed a shadow in front of him and it grew bigger. He looked up to find a shield and man come his way. He leaped back to avoid the collision.

Zelts slammed into the glassy floor and shards of it flew everywhere as the ground around them shattered. When Brenton landed, glass crumbled under his feet and it reflected the flames that cloaked Oathburner, constantly changing between orange and blue. This was the final bout.

" _Ebony. Zinnia. Where are you?"_

A swing of their arms and their weapons clashed. A flaming sword bared down on a shield and the sound of glass cracked from the impact. The King of Flames observed the Knight of the Wind whose left eye was still golden, but his right was normal. Even his power was beginning to crumble. If he wanted to win, it had to be now.

The spectacular battle changed to a simple one with metal and metal colliding. Zelts had his wingblades and used one of them to defend and the other to attack while Brenton focused solely on offense, attacking relentlessly. Oathburner missed its mark and it cut into the glass below. It gave his opponent the chance to counterattack, but he followed through by shooting the remainder of his flames into the ground. The fires were a mixture of blue and orange spread through the area, ripped the glass apart even more, and pushed Zelts back burning through the remainder of his aura while also burning his arms.

Searing pain. The burning sensation screamed through his arms.

Burn marks now decorated his arms. He was no longer protected from harm, but that wasn't going to make him stop. With shards of glass still in the air, Zelts swung one of his wingblades to create a small gale of wind Brenton's way. The wind was green with small hints of gold and it carried the shards of glass, sending them flying like daggers toward Brenton.

The sudden attack took the lizard faunus by surprise and he brought his greatsword up to defend him, but the blade wasn't made to function as a shield so it did little to keep him safe. A few shards hit the blade and broke apart but the rest ripped through his body, reducing his aura to zero. The shards came flying after he lost his protection left cuts shallow and deep through his body. It hurt greatly, but he didn't feel like anything vital was struck. However, he had nothing left to give. His body was too ragged to fight anymore.

He lost.

"I can't be king anymore. It was… so short,"

Brenton's vision was filled with the sky above as he laid on his back. Oathburner wasn't in his hand anymore and he heard the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. Zelts was coming. What was going to happen next?

There was an explosion. Something zipped by him, but that was all he could see. He was too tired to raise his head a few inches.

Zelts needed information on Ebony from Brenton. He couldn't fight anymore so Violet and Silver can interrogate him and squeeze the information out of him. He approached Zelts, but the ground in front of him exploded without warning then he felt a sharp pain in the left side of his lower abdomen. He didn't have time to look down as he fell to his knees. The pain lingered and his head was hanging low. It gave him a chance to see what hurt him and he found a sword on a cable piercing his body. The long sword extended and he raised his head to find its origin point. The sound of glass cracking in front of him alerted him to the presence of another.

Standing between Zelts and Brenton was Zinnia Underland. The Paragon's whip-sword had its tip impaled into his body.

Her eyes were stern but there was no sign of hatred or anger. She did this for one reason: to keep her friend safe. She retracted her whip-sword and it dislodged itself from Zelts who groaned from the pain. He fell forward and clutched his new injury, pressing his hands against it to stop the bleeding. She didn't care to check his condition. Her priority was Brenton.

"You okay?" she asked with concern and worry. "It doesn't look like anything's fatal…" She stopped analyzing his body when she felt something out of the ordinary.

Turning swiftly while drawing her blade, Zinnia clashed with Remus and his Delta. She was able to push him back but when she did she found Silver overhead with his pair of guns. He was a distraction just like Remus. She could hear the invisible blades ripping through the air from her right side. She saw through their little ploy.

Zinnia activated Armaments and cloaked her weapon with a large amount of her aura. One swing of her arm and the whip-sword followed with Armaments extended the reach of the weapon by four times its size. How much aura did she possess?

The enormous reach and the red glow of Armament that imbued the whip-sword made it look like some large serpentine-like creature. It surrounded Zinnia and Brenton then extended outward toward those around them. The first thing to make contact was the throwing knives Violet threw. They were deflected and the whip was closing in on Violet who was invisible as well. She ran as far as she could to avoid the weapon's reach.

When the whip reached Remus, he jumped high into the air and moved back to avoid being hit. He noticed Zelts was still on the ground and couldn't avoid the incoming attack. He quickly used Checkpoint to teleport to Zelts, placed a hand on him, then teleport again, taking him away from the conflict.

Silver was already airborne, so he felt he was in no danger until the whip-sword suddenly moved upward, heading directly toward him. The swift, unexpected movement left him vulnerable and unable to properly defend himself. The blade slashed upwardly from Silver's leg to his torso. Armaments amplifying the reach and power of her weapon. The whip-sword kept dragging on Silver's body and it ripped through a great deal of his aura. He fell from his position and crashed down onto the glassy surface.

Keep them away from Brenton. That's my priority," Zinnia thought, keeping a cool head so she can fight against these numbers efficiently.

She retracted all the aura on her weapon, deactivating Armaments and taking back all the aura she expended. As long as she reabsorbed what she dished out, her aura levels would remain unchanged.

"I know you're lurking around, Violet!" Zinnia called out to her cousin who was unseen on the battlefield. "I'll keep this short because I need to tend to Brenton. Ebony is not here. She's taking care of some Grimm business and won't be back for a while. There's no reason for VRSZ to be here. Leave."

She was right to call out to Violet because the Scarred Flower was stalking around her while invisible. She dissected Zinnia's words as she silently watched her. When Zinnia spoke, she did so with confidence. The time they spent together in Atlas was short, but one thing Violet learned about Zinnia was that she was always truthful. A lady of her word.

Ebony was currently not in Corona.

As Zinnia said, they have no reason to be here. More importantly, she needed to get Zelts treated. She wanted to make sure his wound wasn't life-threatening.

Silver got up from his fall and he had one of Fenrir and had it aimed at Zinnia.

"Enough!" Violet shouted as she reappeared. She started walking to Silver, moving past Brenton, who was still wounded and winded on the ground, and Zinnia who did nothing except keep her eyes on her cousin. "We're going home."

"We are?" he wondered. This was a weird change in their plan.

"There's no point in coming here if Ebony's not here. She's our objective. For now, we go home and tend to Zelts' wounds. He took some heavy hits," Violet explained.

He found it frustrating to walk away empty-handed, but Silver followed his leader to the Fantasia which was slightly scorched from the earlier fight. Remus and Zelts were already there. Silver fished for the medical kit in the trunk and used the material inside to help his friend. With some gauze and cotton pads, he was able to stop the bleeding.

Violet looked back at her cousin one last time as she gets in the driver's seat. Zinnia was lifting Brenton up and having him lean on her back. She was ready to carry him back to Corona which was quite a distance from their current location.

Neither of them would give up Ebony.

Fantasia drove away with the members of VRSZ along with it.

It took some time, but Zinnia and Brenton finally reached Corona. She walked with Brenton, practically carried him to the border where the citizens waited for them. He was still bleeding from all the cuts and gashes he got and he was staining Zinnia's clothes. She didn't care, but he did. The lizard faunus was conscious of everything that happened, but he wished he wasn't for this part.

He lost. The defeated were nothing in Corona. They'll cast him aside. His reign was too short.

One person reached for Brenton and took hold of his shoulder.

"Your Majesty, are you hurt?"

"Hurry. Let's get him to the palace."

"Be careful with him. Gently now."

A group of a dozen people took Brenton from Zinnia and carried him delicately. Another held Oathburner and walked beside them. This was a sight. They were taking him back to his chambers. The Paragon walked beside him as he was taken by his people. As he was being carried, the other citizens in Corona not carrying either followed from behind expressed their worry or offered their praise. They were amazed by his abilities and couldn't be prouder to have such a powerful king.

"They... want me? Even after I lost? They still want me as-" His thoughts ceased when he felt a hand on his chest. He glanced up to see Zinnia and a warm smile on her face.

"You wanted to change this place for the better. Looks like you succeeded."

"Ugh…."

She looked down to see Brenton finally lose consciousness, but she did find him smiling. He finally achieved what he wished for Corona.

 **Setting: Brenton's Chambers**

The King of Flames rested in his bed with bandages wrapped around his body. None of his wounds were grievous, so all he needed was sleep. Zinnia sat beside him, sitting in a chair and watching over him in case he needed assistance. She remained by his side for three hours then she heard the sound of his bedroom door opening.

"Is he okay?" Ebony asked s she sped walk to the bed.

"He'll be fine. He just needs to relax," Zinnia answered as Ebony walked closer.

Ebony sighed in relief, "Good. I'm glad he's alright." She placed her hand on Brenton's head and started petting him. His braids felt nice against her hand.

"They came just as you predicted," Zinnia spoke.

"It was only a matter of time. Did you tell them?"

"Yes. Now they know you're hunting Grimm."

"Meaning they'll follow me around and leave this place alone. I'd rather not have all of Brenton's hard work put in jeopardy."

"Exactly what you wanted. With Grimm added into the mix, there's no telling the outcome of our battles."

"It's a shame Brenton was hurt this badly, but it played out perfectly," Ebony leans forward and kisses Brenton on his forehead, "I'll find some way to pay you back."

"He needs a throne," Zinnia mentions.

"Consider it done."

Ebony leans forward to kiss Brenton again, but her target was not his forehead. She felt a hand on her arm and it pulled her back.

"That's enough," Zinnia told her and Ebony pouted.

"Spoil-sport."

* * *

 **Like Violet, this battle has given Zelts a new moniker: the Golden Wind. This name was bestowed upon him by the citizens of Corona who witnessed the battle. The actual fight was too far away for them to see who Brenton was fighting and the only thing they could see were Zelts' golden wind.**

 **In Zinnia's old bedroom in Atlas, she has a collection of plush animals she likes to buy. This side of her was kept secret from her former military life because she doubted anyone would respect her as they did now. She brought several of them onto Ebony's airship. In contrast, Violet has a collection of comic books she reads openly.**


	54. Nightfall

**Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

"Ahhhh…." Zelts let out a long sigh of relief as he dipped his hands into a bucket of water.

It's been three days since the battle between him and Brenton, earning burn marks on his hands and arms. The wounds were bearable after the pain faded, but he didn't like looking at them. The others told him there was nothing wrong with them and Silver said battle scars are cool, but Zelts went to the Trading District to purchase some black fingerless gloves with yellow accents. They hid the majority of the burn marks and the fingerless feature allowed him to continue using his semblance.

"Those are cool too," Silver told him.

The pain was gone and his aura healed some areas of his arms once it was restored, but a good number of marks remained and he found it soothing to place his hands in cool water. He sat around the kitchen island with a bucket of water on the table and his face just showed how at ease he was. He slumped back in his seat, as far as he could while keeping his hands in the water.

"How are your hands?"

Zelts was not expecting anyone else to be here. He perked up to find Remus sitting across from him. He looked surprised until he took note of Remus' face. His eyes were on his hands and his face was rather crescent fallen.

"Don't worry. My hands are fine. This just feels very nice," Zellts assured his friend.

A doubtful expression was Remus' reaction. "Are you sure? I feel bad for letting you fight on your own. Are you absolutely sure you're-" An elbow perched itself on Remus' shoulder.

"He said he's fine, so take his word for it," Silver told Remus, holding a half-eaten apple in his other hand. "Quit pestering him."

Remus stayed quiet, but Zelts liked the concern, even if it wasn't necessary.

"My wounds don't hurt anymore and the burns just look bad."

"If you say so. I hope Lily doesn't worry too much about it," Remus wondered.

That thought never crossed Zelts' mind. She might not be as calm about this as he was. He knew how the scenario would play out. She would ask him what happened, he'd tell her, then she would strike him out of love, for making her worry. It was something lovers do.

"Oh… You're right about that. Is Clair still here? I'm gonna need to borrow her CCD," Zelts admitted, not feeling great about telling her through scrolls, but it was better than telling Lily directly. He hoped.

"I think she might be in the training room with the others. They're getting ready," Silver answered.

Remus didn't say anything as he walked away from the conversation. His departure didn't raise suspicion. They already knew where he was going. Shortly after, Violet walked into the kitchen. She looked at her boys with a relaxed expression. "Still soaking your hands?"

"Just feels nice. Clair's team is still getting ready?" Zelts asked.

"They're just about ready to leave. I hope it goes well for them."

"All of them are good at what they do. They'd give us a run for our money if we fought them. Not to mention Clair will be with them. She already gathered enough information to gain the initiative and made a lot of preparation. I don't think we have to worry about them," Silver explained.

"Preparation is nice, but it doesn't guarantee victory," Zelts added, concerned for Clair and the Enforcers.

In the training room, Clair stood with Bianca and Azura with a determined look on her face as a thudding sound filled the room. Ghost was inspecting Purgatory against the side of the wall near the door, focusing more on his work than what was going on in the middle of the room.

The rhythmic thudding sound became rapid as Blood and Remus continued their short bout. With the Enforcers preparing to depart, Remus wanted a quick session with Blood. He knew it wasn't much, but he had yet to show his friend what he could do with his awakened abilities. Engaged in hand-to-hand combat, Remus felt exhilarated as he gave the bat faunus everything he had. His movements flowed smoothly and he felt like he could figure out how Blood was going to react.

This was more than Blood expected. His young Cobalt developed so much in such a short time after he went to Shade. He actually felt pressure in this training fight. Hell, he didn't consider this to be practice at all. It was a real fight.

He swung his fist and it met with Remus' open palm and he felt his leg be struck by a knee then found Remus trying to land another palm strike. Fortunately, he saw it in time to grab his wrist before the palm could connect then folded his wings until they were between him and Remus. Unfolding them, he pushed Remus away with a heavy blow. His large wings knocked Remus back to the wall of the room, but he landed on his feet with a huge smile on his face and the loud thumping of his heart.

He felt the same as Blood. This was about to become a real fight.

"I think that's good enough," Clair called out to end the fight. She turned to Remus, "Sorry sweetie, but we need to get going. You and Blood can play all you want once we get back."

"All right," he answered with excitement in his voice.

His eyes were on Blood who looked back at him. Remus saw his friend and a mountain he had to climb. All the times he fought with Blood, he lost. But now, he felt like he could finally match up to his friend and he couldn't wait to truly show him how much he improved.

" _There's that look in his eyes,"_ Blood thought humorously.

It was a Cobalt thing. Whenever they had their sights set on something, they intend to see it through to the end. As the reluctant rival to Remus, Blood knew this was going to be a part of his daily life. Which was why it took him by surprise that Remus hadn't challenged him recently. Now he understood why.

He couldn't help but smile back. "When we get back, you and I can go all out. Be ready."

"I'll be waiting for you!" Remus shouted with vigor. Despite what he said, he already couldn't wait for their duel.

Clair and the Enforcers left the training room and entered the living room. It was there they found their friends waiting for them. It was time to depart so goodbyes needed to be exchanged.

"Make sure you kick some ass for me," Silver requested from Bianca.

She smiled at him, "I'll do my best. Maybe I'll bring you back a souvenir."

"I wouldn't hate it if you did! This place has been missing a spoil of war shelf." Silver looked to Ghost and raised his fist. "There's not much I need to say. You and Bianca are nearly unstoppable together. Watch each others' back."

Ghost didn't smile at him. He kept a nonchalant look to his best friend, but he did bump fists with him. "I know," was all he said, but those two words carried a lengthy message for Silver. The bond they had was strong enough for them to convey what they wanted to say with few words and gestures.

"We're off. Wish us luck," Clair told Violet and Zelts.

"You're going after Ebony and her group. Luck probably won't be enough. Are you sure you don't want us there?" Zelts asked with nothing but concern.

"Thank you, but it has to be this way. We only gathered enough information to learn what she's doing and predict where she might be next, but it's not a guarantee. We still don't know what her objective is. If by chance she comes to Nexus and none of us are here to protect it. I don't want to gamble the people here if I'm wrong."

"We'll keep this place safe," Violet affirmed with confidence.

"Thank you."

Remus exited the training room and approached Azura. "Be careful. They have a crazy strong machine with them."

"That thing shouldn't be a problem. We got some inside information on it." Azura showed no concern for her enemy.

"How? You've never seen it before."

"Believe it or not, Clair got it from Onyx. He had some blueprints on the thing, showing all its weapons and its weaknesses."

"How did you research something you've never seen?" Remus was curious. Did Clair's investigation skills reach that far?

A nervous laugh came from Clair who started fidgeting. "Actually… It's not the first time I've seen Monochrome."

"Clearly if you know it by name. Where did you see it? How does Onyx already have blueprints on it?" Violet asked, interested in the conversation.

"Onyx… already has the blueprints because... he...made Monochrome." She flicked her eyes to see VRSZ's reactions. Shock. Every single one of them had wide eyes or slacked jaws. She was ready for the backlash.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Monochrome stood in the kitchen, staying close to Ebony who was finding something to eat as they fly through the sky. She searched for different things in the refrigerator and placed whatever she found on a counter.

"Is there anything I can get you, Bren?" she asked her companion who sat on the couch.

"I'm fine. Stop doting over me," he told her in an annoyed tone. He recovered from his battle after a night's rest and his restored aura healing his wounds. That was a few days ago, but Ebony insisted on tending to him. That's what she said, but he and Zinnia could see through her ploy and used it as an excuse to play with him.

"Maybe I can massage your back and make sure your injuries aren't-" Ebony felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find Zinnia.

"Stop harassing him. He's fine," she defended to keep her friend from being fondled.

"Fine," Ebony sighed as she grabbed some food to eat for herself, pouting about her Champions turning against her. All kidding aside, she got serious for a moment.

"Be ready. The Grimm we're going after is extremely dangerous. We have to be careful and plan accordingly."

"Understood," Zinnia replied.

"I get it, but there's something else that's been bothering me," Brenton addressed with some force in his voice, "How long are you going to keep our prisoner around? Why not get rid of her?"

"One: she is not a prisoner. Two: I prefer to utilize people instead of killing them. I know you don't like Alexandrite, but just bear with it for me, please?" Ebony gave him puppy-dog eyes and quivering pouting lips.

Brenton rolled his eyes.

"She did a lot for you in the past few days to build your trust. I'm sure you can trust her with this decision," Zinnia told her friend, backing up her liege.

He could only sigh in agreement. He didn't like it, but the deed was done and he had to accept it.

Ebony checked her scroll which was connected to the airship's main computer. She accessed the autopilot to see how far they were from their destination then she looked at the sun. It was descending and would reach the horizon soon. That was not a good sign.

"We'll be there by nightfall. The Grimm should be there, but we won't engage it when we get there. If we do, and if the rumors are true, that thing will be unstoppable come nighttime."

 **Setting: Clair's Airship**

"They were mad," Ghost said blatantly. He stood by a window in the common area. He didn't say anything but realized the layout of Clair's ship was similar to Ebony's, or maybe it was the other way around. He couldn't say.

"Mad? They were fuming," Azura corrected as she laid on the couch on her stomach, taking up the whole space. She smirked to herself, thinking at the dumb, humorously look Remus had.

"I thought you told them about Monochrome already. It seems like a pretty big deal," Bianca asked Clair who scratched the back of her head while looking away.

She already felt bad about it. She just forgot to tell them. And it made things worse when she left Nexus and left Onyx to deal with VRSZ and their wrath. A call on her scroll was coming. She could feel it. "Can we drop it and focus on the mission?"

"You're so gonna get it when we get back," Blood added with a grin.

Clair's face turned red. It was one thing if Azura and Ghost said something. She expected them to, but when Blood or Bianca say something like that, the shame that came with it was unbearable. She messed up bad.

"Shut up. Focus on the mission!" Clair responded childishly, not wanting to continue this conversation. Her Enforcers couldn't help but chuckle to themselves. It was rare for Clair to lose her cool like that.

"Keep in mind that we'll be crossing paths with Ebony's group by nightfall. That's when we strike."

 **Setting: Ravine**

Somewhere in the desert was a large ravine that spanned a distance equal to three small settlements. The walls of the ravine were high and the ravine itself was deep with many rock structures and formations. Along the walls were many caverns leading deeper into the ravine. There was no sign of life to been seen, but there was something in the air. Something primal.

Deep within one of the caverns, a guttural sound could be heard.

 **Next Chapter: The Terror of Night**


	55. The Terror of Night

**Setting: Ravine**

The air was cold and the world was still. The cavernous ravine was quiet and empty save for the few who stood high atop its walls. Perched above and looking at the ground below, Zinnia and Brenton were scanning the area, making certain their target wasn't on the move.

Arriving three hours ago, The Paragon made sure to keep tabs on the Grimm they've been searching for.

Stay out of sight. Don not engage. Those were her current orders.

They needed to hide their presence. After hearing the rumors about this Grimm, a battle at night was not what any of them desired. Zinnia thought they were lucky enough to find the Grimm's location. Now, they just had to wait until daybreak which wasn't too far behind.

Her eyes were focused on the maw of a cave where the beast resided until she felt her scroll vibrate. She pulled it out of her pocket.

' _Is our shift over yet?'_ Brenton texted her. Talking could stir the Grimm so they messaged each other to communicate.

She rolled her eyes. ' _Almost. One more hour.'_

That was what she sent, but the look on her face told Brenton there was more she wanted to say. He wondered but didn't pry.

'I'm only asking because it wouldn't be great for us to stay up till morning to fight that thing. Fighting while exhausted only makes the battle twice as hard. Even more, if all of us are tired.'

She understood what he was trying to say and chastised herself for thinking he meant something else. He asked out of concern, not laziness. It wasn't his style and she should've known that.

"If push comes to shove, Monochrome can clean up what we don't finish.'

"That's true. I just hope we can end this soon. I. Need. Sleep.'

This one made her curl her lips. At times, Brenton had his funny moments, but she couldn't risk an outburst. It could stir the Grimm.

" _Only a few more hours,"_

Inside the airship, the scene between the pair of Champions was being watched from afar. They could be seen from a window in the airship. A small smile on her face and a warmth burgeoning in her heart. Ebony watched her friends with Monochrome by her side. She adored it, but her metal monstrosity wasn't made for conversation.

The ravine wasn't much to look at, but it was peaceful, despite the horrifying Grimm that called it home. The Charming Vantablack doubted she'd ever return to this little spot. She was more fond of the new landmark.

The Glass Plains.

It was the area near Corona created by Zelts and Brenton's epic battle. While it wasn't vast, it served as a pretty place to see and visit.

Her thoughts were drifting again. She needed to keep her head straight for the mission. Eyes focused on the world outside, Ebony chanced a glance at something. A weird blur crossed the corner of vision and she sighed in response.

Now was not the time. It was the worst time for this to happen now.

Ebony ran from her position with Monochrome three paces behind. She couldn't let this happen. No matter how unexpected, she had to get control of the situation.

Outside, the lizard faunus kept his gaze on the moon, looking on with a gentle expression. It was peaceful, but his face turned rigid. He turned to his comrade, "Zinnia."

"I know."

Swiftly, the duo separated from each other, dashing away as something fell on their previously occupied location. What fell wasn't hard for either of them to discern. They've seen it before. The same large, brown, leathery wings he was so proud of. Former comrade turned enemy, Blood.

And if he was here…

Shiny particles began to fill the air and take up the vision of the Champions. It was too late. They were all here.

A finger snap and the particles emitted cold air before unleashing a whirlwind of ice. Brenton and Zinnia were able to get out of proximity to the ice storm, but they were still caught in the attack, partially freezing their bodies. Zinnia's whole right arm, her whip-sword, and her right foot were covered in ice. Brenton was further away so only his left arm was frozen, but he didn't waver.

A quick flash of Oathburner and flames wreathed the blade. The heat they released melted the ice with ease.

Zinnia didn't have his capabilities, but she was just as resourceful. With her semblance, she cloaked her arm and leg in her aura then expanded it, breaking the ice covering it. She retracted Armaments and sensed the incoming attack. She shot out the blade on her wrist device then swung it around only to feel it clash with something metal. Turning to her right, she found her adversary. Bianca had her Archangels on Zinnia's wrist blade, the bayonets holding of the larger weapon.

Brenton jumped back into the air to avoid a claw that erected from the ground below. Emerging along with the appendage was Ghost. This was going to be tricky for the King of Flames. His attacks and fire wouldn't be able to reach him. However, he could make it just as hard for his opponent. He released more flames until it danced around his body, cloaking himself in flames, protecting himself from any attack Ghost attempted. It would even ward off Blood.

They were in a stalemate, but Brenton didn't want to engage in battle. Neither did Zinnia.

The mission would be compromised in the worst possible way.

How could they diffuse the situation?

"This is not the best time for me. Could we reschedule this get-together?" Ebony requested with a furrowed brow and her lips in a thin line. This really wasn't what she wanted.

Standing at the inner threshold of her airship, just a couple steps away from the exit, was Ebony with Monochrome by her side and Clair and Azura in front of her. How did they get inside without anyone noticing? Clair's Enforcers were another group she couldn't overlook.

"Why? Right now seems like the best time to me," Clair retorted with an air of triumph.

Azura pulled out elemental staff and Monochrome viewed her as a potential threat. The machinery beneath its exterior could be heard shifting by Ebony and she was losing patience. She couldn't let things escalate, but Clair wasn't making it easy.

" _How am I supposed to do this? Charm is out of the question. She's probably mentally prepared for it. Same goes for Azura... Maybe the truth will work,"_

"If I tell you fighting right now would put us in danger, would you believe me?" Ebony asked, breaking her serious tone for a more level, reasonable one. She prayed her cousin would listen.

"And why is that?" Clair spat back, keeping her aggressive stance.

It wasn't a no.

"It's a good guess you know we're hunting certain Grimm, but this Grimm is very dangerous. We can't let it spot us."

There wasn't much, but Ebony caught the tiniest twitch of Clair's eyes. Her stalwartness was wavering by the smallest of margins. Maybe Ebony could salvage her plan after all.

Clair crossed her arms and had a suspicious look, "And what's going to happen if it does?"

"It will probably kill us all. That thing can't be fought-"

An explosion could be heard outside. How did it happen? Who caused it? The sudden boom sent Azura did not sit well with Azura as the Sky-Blue Warrior armed herself with her weapon and that sent Monochrome to defense mode. With its built-in jetpack, the droid barreled toward the Cobalt warrior and tackled her, carrying Azura through the airship's exit door, literally through it, breaking through the door and leaving a hole in Ebony's vehicle.

The Charming Vantablack couldn't find the words to express how upset and disappointed she was with everything unraveling like this. It was a given her enemies would come and face her, and she was ready for it, but this was the only bad time for them to come. And it wasn't even VRSZ! There were too many unknown variables for Ebony's liking.

Another finger snap and the Stardust particles ignited in flame, creating an explosion that covered the area in front of her. Bianca backed away from her own attack and saw an extended blade cut through the smoke and came for her. She nimbly ducked away from the blade's tip and rolled to her left while keeping an eye on Zinnia's location.

Never lose sight of your mark.

Ghost and Brenton danced around each other, making no wasted moves. Ghost used Purgatory to literally claw and swipe through Brenton's flames, but the intense heat was too much for him to bear and he couldn't remain tangible long enough for him to land a blow. The same could be said for Brenton. He swung his sword whenever Ghost attacked, hoping to land a blow when Ghost was tangible, but Oathburner kept going through him. They were in a vexing stalemate with no one giving an inch.

Zinnia had the short end of the stick in this fight as she had to battle Bianca and Blood. After failing to hit Bianca with her whip-sword, the Paragon opened her field of vision and found nothing. Instinctively, she weaved her head down diagonally, feeling a rush of air graze her fiery hair. In her blindspot, a fist came flying and it belonged to Blood. He missed his target and was feeling frustrated. She didn't avoid and didn't do anything else. Her right hand had her whip-sword as it retracted back to her and her left hand was bent till it faced her backside, aiming the wrist weapon's barrel at Blood's torso. She fired and a bolt of lightning hit him point-blank and Blood felt electricity violently run through his body. He was stunned and Zinnia dashed away from him and Bianca.

She tried to avoid conflict as much as possible, but it was impossible with this group. It was only a matter of time.

It was going to awaken.

Suddenly the sound of an engine echoed throughout the scene and Monochrome was flying above everyone with Azura in its arms. She used her dust tattoos to cover the droid's arms in as much ice dust as possible, preventing it from transforming its arms.

A weakness of Monochrome; the robot was created in Vacuo so it was designed to resist intense heat, but the machinery slows down in intense cold. A note from Onyx's blueprints.

Legs imbued with lightning, Azura kicked the robot in the face as hard as she could, knocking its head back and separating the two. She was falling but positioned herself so she was falling feet first. Changing from lightning to fire dust and small jettisons of flame erupted beneath her feet, propelling her upward and allowing her to fly. It was from this high vantage point, she could see the landscape, and more importantly, she sees what's coming to them. Her eyes widen in shock.

Zinnia was evading Blood's fist as her former teammate engaged her in close combat. To avoid his Paralysis, she made sure to block his blows with her weapons. Getting her movements slowed wouldn't end well for her. Even against a high caliber fighter like Blood, the Paragon was holding her own while keeping tabs on Bianca behind her. If the gunwoman entered the fray, she was ready to counterattack.

A fist was coming her way, but for some reason, Blood halted his action. In a flash, she gave him an uppercut that sent him back a couple of feet. She turned to face Bianca next, only to find something new on the scene. Something big, black, and terrifying. Brenton and Ghost stopped their battle when they saw it too.

On the edge of the ravine, towering over everyone, was a massive Grimm. It was reptilian in appearance with a long body and bones with red markings covering its head. Red frills underneath its neck and tendrils around its nose. The head and neck were all that could be seen by the warriors on the ground.

Azura was the only one in the air with a better view of the monster. The ravine was tall and the Grimm was large enough to climb it with ease. The body was long and it had two of each limb, including a tail which was slender and whip-like. Besides its head, the rest of the Grimm's body lacked bone plating. It was sleek and black with red markings along its back.

Azura had never seen a Grimm like this before. Her astonishment was interrupted when she was struck in the shoulder and the force was felt throughout her body. Monochrome returned and body-slammed Azura, sending her falling to the ground, crashing by the airship. The droid ceased combating the Cobalt when it detected the greater threat in its vicinity: the Grimm.

Ebony ran outside and cursed in frustration. This was what she wanted to avoid. "Why couldn't you just leave?!" she screamed at her cousin who stood behind her. All the calmness she had left her face and Ebony was truly enraged. Furrowed brows, flaring nostrils, and clenched teeth. Ebony was visibly infuriated. Clair has never seen this before.

"That thing can't be fought at night!"

Seeming to answer the question Clair was about to ask, Bianca used her semblance to send a thick cloud of Stardust the Grimm's way then snapped her fingers. All the particles crackled with lightning and consumed the Grimm ripping and scorching its body with bursts of lightning that left its face burned and the bone plating cracked. The reptilian Grimm wailed in pain, but something was happening with its body. The scars and burnt marks began to mend and repair themselves at a rapid rate. Even the bone plating was being restored back to its original state. All the damage Bianca just did vanish like it never got hit. The gunslinger didn't understand how it was possible.

The next to attack was Monochrome who released a volley of missile that hit the Grimm on its left, bludgeoning and exploding its arm and neck and making it lose its grip. The Grimm fell to the bottom of the ravine, but all of its wounds were healing. Nothing was damaging it.

"What kind of Grimm is that?" Ghost asked in confusion.

"One of the really bad ones," Brenton answered, clearly upset with the interference of the Enforcers.

"That Grimm can't be killed at night," Zinnia clarified for everyone. "No matter how hard or how quickly you strike its body, it will heal instantly."

"Which is why we were tracking it and not attacking it," Ebony continued with an edge in her voice, "It's completely helpless in the day. In bright light, it's extremely vulnerable."

Clair could feel the pit in her stomach grow deeper and deeper. This was not what she was expecting, but who could anticipate dealing with such a bothersome monster. Her hands began to tremble from uncertainty. "How long until daybreak?"

Ebony glanced her way and dryly said, "Three hours."

That's how long until sunrise, how long they needed to survive.

An ear-splitting screech was heard from below. The Grimm's bellow shook the airship and reverberated everyone's bones. It was angry.

Ebony pulled Trois Reines from its scabbard and walked forward. Clair walked by her side with her pen-sword. It didn't need to be said. This was a temporary truce until the biggest threat was taken care of. The Enforcers and the Champions understood as well. Everyone needed to stall for three hours.

Zinnia took the lead. She rushed to the edge of the wall to see the Grimm was on the ground and getting up. Its blood-red eyes went directly to where she was and is focused on her. It had every intent to fight.

Its large body betrayed its speed as the Grimm was moving quickly. It was already scaling the wall and halfway to their location. The Paragon lashed her whip-sword across the gap until it pierced the wall opposite to hers and leaped off the wall. She swung through the air while keeping a tight grip on her sword's hilt. She watched the Grimm almost reach the others who began to take action. She aimed her bracer at the Grimm with the barrel pointed at it and fired five burning projectiles that were like cannonballs. All of them hit their mark as the Grimm's back was bombarded. The pain was fleeting as the darkness of night healed its wounds in an instant.

She couldn't harm the Grimm, but her little attack did grab the reptile's attention as it turned its head to her.

 _"Perfect,"_

Soaring through the sky was Blood who dove down to the Grimm. If they needed to stall, then his abilities were the most needed. As he flew, the bat faunus felt something move past him at high speed. He found Monochrome with nodes appearing around its body. It tackled into the Grimm and it was strong enough to knock the Grimm off the wall. It fell to the ground again with Monochrome on its neck and the nodes surged with electricity.

To everyone still atop the wall, they saw a bright light, electricity running wild, and heard the Grimm shriek.

Undaunted, Blood continued his path, watching the Grimm grab Monochrome with one of its arms and slam it into the ground. It was too focused on the robot, so Blood swooped down and began striking its body, rapidly delivering Paralysis. After many blows, Blood flew away from the Grimm to see the results of his work. It seemed to take effect as the Grimm's body appeared to be slowing down. Even the whipping of its tails was sluggish. Its body was slow, but it didn't weaken its grip on Monochrome who was pinned down. It did, however, give the others time to fight back.

Azura flew down with fire beneath her feet propelling her toward the Grimm. She landed on the ground and used the ice dust in her wrist to create two ice javelins. She hurled them at the Grimm and pierced its neck with both. It was moving slowly, but it started to yell. Azura approached the Grimm while it was slow, but she learned something terrible.

The darkness of night was healing all of its wounds, including its aliments. Paralysis wore off in a few seconds.

The Grimm whipped its two tails and one of them smacked into Azura. She was sent flying several meters before she started sliding on the ground and finally stopped. She felt humiliated for being the only one taking heavy hits. Blood went back to check on her, feeling pressured learning his semblance would do little good here.

Stardust particles surrounded the Grimm and Bianca used snapped her fingers, transforming the particles into a violent blizzard that covered the Grimm and everything in its vicinity. The ground and walls were covered in ice and snow. The Grimm stood with its jaw wide, but that's all it did. It was frozen solid with Monochrome still its grasp and frozen with it.

No one moved closer to the sight. Zinnia landed at the bottom of the ravine and kept her eyes on the frozen Grimm. Was the ice enough to hold it back?

The two members of the Vantablack family remained on the cliffside, watching from afar until Ebony walked away. Her choice of action befuddled Clair who watched her cousin return to her airship.

"Where are you going?" Clair asked in confusion.

Ebony turned her head to Clair and quickly said, "To get insurance." Clair could only look more baffled at her response.

Ghost phased through the cliffside and shifted down it to reach the ground with the others. Bianca stayed above so she could use her semblance without the worry of being hit. She already judged this Grimm possessed no long-range capabilities and relied on its speed to close any gap between it and its enemies. Learning Blood's semblance had little effect made her worry even more. She was a necessity to slow it down. But could she keep using Stardust until dawn?

The ice began to crack and everyone got ready. Cracks covered the Grimm and with a flex of its body, the Grimm broke free, sending shards flying around it. No one moved from their spots and they waited for the Grimm to make its move.

The first thing the Grimm did was hurl Monochrome across the ravine until it crashed into a stone pillar, smashing through it and being buried under the fallen debris. Monochrome was extremely durable, but he had no aura.

Everyone kept their eyes on the Grimm, but it was still incredibly fast. It didn't run toward them, but the two tails extended toward them like vines. Its targets were Blood and Ghost. The former jumped back to evade the tail and used Spectre to let the tail pass through his body and hit the ground. Still, Ghost backed away as the tail took up a large majority of his body. As it attacked them, the Grimm sprinted toward Zinnia with its jaws wide open. The Paragon did not move or flinch when she saw the literal jaws of death come her way. She was too calm and for good reason.

The Grimm reached her, but it never clamped down. A huge orb of fire came hurtling toward them and it collided with the Grimm's head, burning it and knocking it to the side until it crashed into the wall. Zinnia confidently flicked her eyes to her left and found Brenton with a smoking Oathburner. He aimed his weapon at the Grimm while it was rocked and pulled the trigger, unleashing a large torrent of flame at the Grimm once again. He burned it mercilessly and with no sign of stopping. He continuously pulled the trigger of Oathburner, knowing it was healing as it burned.

His flames began to consume the entire Grimm who howled for the longest time. The King of Flames watched his fire carefully for any sign of movement. Once he saw the flicker of the Grimm's body, he activated Boost and increased his firepower, changing them to blue.

It continued to scream even louder until it stopped. The flames still engulfed it, but it didn't make a sound which made Brenton wary. Suddenly, the fire all over the Grimm was moving, lifting off its body and levitating to a certain point. The Grimm's jaw was open and the blue flames were converging in front of it, forming a fireball no bigger than a person. The sheer concentration of fire in that small form disturbed Brenton and those around him.

Then, it swallowed the blue fireball.

The light from the burning orb could be seen every time the Grimm opened its mouth. It didn't seem in pain, it never seemed in pain, and its head was turned toward Brenton. He knew what was coming.

"Shit! Everyone get away!" he shouted for everyone.

Like in many fairy tales, the Grimm took a deep breath and spewed the blue fire it swallowed like a dragon. The flames covered the whole floor and were six feet high. Brenton cursed himself for his tremendous strength being used against them.

Ghost used Spectre and dove into one of the walls of the ravine, Blood flew upward to avoid the attack entirely, and Zinnia shot out her whip-sword, had it connect to the cliff and reeled herself up. Brenton didn't have the ability to avoid as the others did. Instead, he cloaked his weapon in flames and waited for the fires to reach him. The best he could do was counter fire with fire. He was ready to swing Oathburner but a wall erected in front of him, a glassy-blue wall made of crystal.

"That's the best a king can do?" Brenton heard from behind. A taunting familiar voice. The lizard faunus turns and he is stupefied.

Alexandrite stood there with crystals emerging from her feet. She stood with a left hand on her hip, the other holding her halberd, and her eyes changing to blue. She had a grin on her face that said, 'you owe me,' and Brenton still couldn't understand his predicament. Was he safe or was she saving him for herself?

" _What the hell is going on?"_

Alexandrite gripped her halberd and aimed it at Brenton. He guesses he had his answer.


	56. Bloodstained

**A/N: Happy Birthday Violet! I needed to get this chapter out today for her birthday, so I spent the whole day finishing it. That being said, it's not a pleasant read. You have been warned.**

* * *

 **Setting: Ravine**

The former sovereign of Corona stood right in front of the current sovereign who was flabbergasted at the sight of her. Brenton had no idea why Alexandrite was released from her cell and standing right here. He watched her grip her halberd and he prepared himself for the worse.

The Bedazzled Behemoth smashed her large polearm against her crystal wall, breaking it apart, then swung at the debris, jettisoning it toward the Grimm. The shards ripped into and through the Grimm's body as it screeched in pain, but its wounds continued to heal. Before the Grimm could react and before Blood could ask what she was doing, Alexandrite grabbed the lizard faunus by the collar of his jacket and threw him to side behind the crystal wall that remained. Her eyes turned green and she covered herself in crystal armor as it grew on her body.

He could only stare at her as he watched his former enemy march to the Grimm, like a knight ready to duel a dragon. Did that make him the damsel in distress? What was she doing here?

"Your precious leader let me out on the condition that I fight for her," she answered. " I'm still not happy with everything, but I haven't fought in days. It's time for me to rampage."

" _What is Ebony thinking?"_ was all Brenton could think of at the moment.

The Grimm clawed into the sand as it watched Alexandrite approach it and its eyes focused on her, but they returned to normal when it felt a stabbing pain in its back. Turning its head, it found Monochrome with its large lance impaling its spine. With a quick swipe, it batted the robot into the wall with its tails. Despite how powerful Monochrome's attacks were, it meant nothing to an unflinching monster that could heal as soon as it's attacked.

Alexandrite was running toward the Grimm and heard a familiar voice shout, "Why are you here?!"

Looking overhead, Alexandrite could only sneer at the sight of an old comrade. Azura flew in with flames on her feet and was heading toward the monstrosity before the both of them. Seeing they had a common enemy, Alexandrite charged ahead.

The Grimm's head was positioned on the flying Cobalt who saw its next attack coming with ease. It lunged forward to try and bite her but quickly did a barrel roll to avoid its gnarly teeth and passed its head. She was prepared to attack from behind then she saw Alexandrite dive headfirst toward the Grimm and skewer its chest with the blade of her polearm. Azura always wondered if Alexandrite had a brain, but she could see it at work as she created crystal pillars from her feet that traveled to the Grimm. They rose higher and higher, pushing the Grimm's body upward until it was awkwardly to high for its legs to reach the ground. The uncomfortable position left its upper half vulnerable.

If Alexandrite called her Baby-blue, she'd let her just this once.

Like a rocket, Azura put all the fire dust in her tattoos to overdrive and slammed into the back of the Grimm's neck. It would've broke if it weren't for its healing ability. Luckily, she wasn't the only one taking advantage of its impaired state.

Everyone came in a swarm to kill the massive reptile. Blood flew in and was the first to strike. His attacks were ineffective and he had no weapons, but he knew a spot to hit. The bat faunus jammed his fist into the Grimm's right eye, squishing through it and got a scream from his work. Next was Brenton who pulled Oathburner's trigger and released a torrent of blue flame. Blood flew away from the Grimm and Alexandrite pulled her halberd out and rolled out of the way of the incoming inferno that rivaled the Grimm in height. The fire was all the Grimm could see and it was bathing in a sea of fire. The monster's screams couldn't be heard over the sheer volume of fire being blast at its entire body.

Clair and Ebony watched in awe at their subordinates. The Enforcers were fighting to keep their lady from harm and the Champions were accomplishing the goal of their liege. All of them were fighting so hard so their leaders wouldn't have to. They couldn't be more proud of those who chose to follow them.

" _I love them,"_ they both thought simultaneously.

The entire ravine had flames running through it as Brenton's powerful attack nearly filled the cavernous setting. Only the portion he wasn't facing, leaving the Grimm to suffer the full brunt of his fire. Monochrome was against the wall near the Grimm and he wasn't saved by the flames, but Brenton figured the machine would be fine with this level of firepower. After all, he knew he couldn't kill it, but he could hold it back for an opportunity attack.

In the midst of the fiery onslaught, the Grimm began consuming some of the flames again, ignoring the searing pain ravaging its body as the darkness of night helped it recover just as fast as it was burned.

The flames finally stopped and smoke was coming off the Grimm. The air was smothering and intensely hot, making it hard to breathe. The sand beneath and behind the Grimm turned to glass from the heat and it cracked beneath its immense weight. The walls were scorched horribly to the point they were charred black.

The King of Flames power could not be ignored, but neither could the Grimm's healing abilities.

It brushed off the attack to continue with its own, retaliating by discharging some of the fire it absorbed during that attack. The reptilian monster opened its maw to return the flames back to its owner, but something strong smack into its jaw. While the Grimm was readying its attack, Blood took the initiative and flew beneath it to deliver a strong uppercut as soon as it tried to breathe fire. He shut its mouth before the flames came out and it had devastating results. Soaring a few feet above the Grimm, he saw the fire in its mouth be unleashed in a massive burst and it damaged the Grimm's mouth internally and blew Blood back. He wasn't expecting to get hit but his aura was still protecting him, so it was worth it.

Watching from above, he could see the Grimm and its jaw nearly blew off. It dangled by the left hinge, but even more disturbing was how it was beginning to repair itself. The black flesh was quickly reconnecting and calling it a pretty sight would be a flat out lie.

Stardust particles moved to the Grimm's head and turned to an ice flurry. Bianca used her semblance to freeze its head again, halting the recovery.

The final person to act was Zinnia. She ran to the scene and extended her whip-sword, running until she passed Brenton. With a flick of her wrist, the whip of her weapon wrapped around Brenton's waist and she swung with all her might. She hurled her friend at the Grimm then leaped behind to follow him. She activated Armaments and imbued her whip-sword with her aura, transforming it into a ten-foot saber.

The ice broke apart and the Grimm howled, but it was met with Brenton's Oathburner as it slashed into its neck. The wound was closing but another blade, a much larger one, lacerated it even further. Zinnia's enormous weapon cut the neck at the same spot Brenton struck and she swung with all her might. Her aura-empowered sword continued where Brenton left off, leaving a severing blow.

In wild and spectacular fashion, Zinnia sliced the head and neck of the Grimm off its body.

The severed head fell to the ground with a loud thump near Blood. He saw no signs of life in its eyes and he didn't expect it to. What creature or Grimm could live without its head. A sigh of relief escaped his lungs. "It's done."

Zinnia landed behind the Grimm's body which was still standing upright, but completely motionless. She withdrew Armaments and looked at her work. She closed her eyes and took a quick breath, letting her instincts know the battle was over.

Everyone around them was relieved. Ghost was glad they didn't have to wait for the sun to rise just to kill it and his sister was pleased to know no one was really hurt from the fight. Alexandrite and Azura shared the same displeasure of the battle not taking longer than an hour. Azura wanted to blow off some steam from being tossed around and Alexandrite felt her time on the battlefield was too short. Monochrome had no feelings. It stood by the wall on standby, waiting for new orders. The only person who showed no pleased expression was Brenton. The lizard faunus waited because he knew the end of this battle meant the beginning of another.

The truce between the two Vantablacks has ended.

With the Grimm's defeat insight, a silence fell between Clair and Ebony. The tension was slowly forming as they purposely kept their eyes on their subordinates and not each other. Both had their weapons in hand but neither made a move. Despite what they said earlier, Clair and Ebony weren't sure what was going to happen next.

"So, what now?" Ebony dared to ask. "Are we still going to fight or can we let this satisfaction of victory let go our separate ways?"

"If our roles were reversed, would you let me go?" Clair asked her cousin, glancing her way. Ebony looked at her and took some time to answer, but she made sure to answer honestly.

"No, especially if you knew what my new goal was."

Her answer was enough. Bianca eyes Ebony with her guns in her hands. Clair steeled herself for the new battle that was about to begin. Ebony did the same as the sparks of conflict were ready to fly. That is until a horrid scream filled the entire ravine.

Both Vantablacks turned to find a terrifying sight, one that shattered their serious expressions and replaced it with fear and dread.

Everyone turned once they heard the blood-curdling scream and found Blood in the jaws of the Grimm's severed head. It was still moving, still alive, and it clenched down on the right side of Blood's body, gnawing on his entire arm, leg, and chest. His wing avoided the bite and he made sure to keep it away. Out of all his appendages, Blood didn't want to ruin his wings, but it didn't stop his aura from breaking. Blood was beginning to spill from his arm and leg, dripping onto the sand and staining the Grimm's teeth.

The pain was immense. All he could do was grind his teeth as he tried to free himself but his strength was fading as he lost more and more blood. If this kept up, his arm and leg would be torn off. His vision was beginning to blur. " _Am I going to…"_

A hand grasped Blood's and his body felt incredibly light. All the pain he felt vanished as he fell backward and landed in the sand realizing there was the weight of another on top of him. Eventually, the person on top came into his view and Blood found Ghost with a scared look on his face. His mouth was moving and he was shouting something at him, but Blood couldn't hear him. His senses were so dull. All he could do was feel and all he could only feel one thing; pain.

"BLOOD! ARE YOU OKAY?! BLOOD?" Ghost frantically called his friend. He found the bloodied bat's eyes on him but they didn't seem to be looking at him. His stare was distant and it scared Ghost. "Shit, shit. No, no!"

The moment after Ghost used his semblance to save Blood, Azura charged the head in a blind fury. The dust tattoos were alit with flames as she used the flames beneath her feet to jet toward the severed head. She grabbed it by the tendrils on its nose and flew upward, carrying the head which was trying to snap at her but couldn't reach. With all her strength fueled by her anger, Azura threw the head high into the sky then followed with blasting flames at the head as it fell far away from the ravine. Whether it was dead or alive was not Azura's concern anymore. Blood's well-being was all she cared about right now.

Bianca, not waiting for a response from Clair, scaled down the cliffside to tend to Blood's wounds. Out of all the Enforcers, she had the most medical training. Clair silently agreed with her friend's decision and Ebony didn't know what to do. Even if Blood was the enemy, he was a former Champion.

The other Champions watched the Enforcers tend to their own. They were shocked to see the Grimm was still alive, but it didn't last long when something else grabbed their attention. The body of the Grimm began to move, specifically the opening of the severed neck. A bulging, black mass took shape on the neck and it grew bigger and bigger until it became translucent, showing what was forming on the inside. Three things were inside it. Moving, wriggling, living, and ready to come out.

"Oh no," Zinnia said in disbelief, realizing what she did only made the battle worse. The black mass burst open and emerging from it were three heads, each identical to the one cut off. If this Grimm had no name, Zinnia decided on one at that moment.

Hydra

The Hydra caught most of them off-guard. All of its heads came crashing down on Alexandrite, beating her relentlessly until she stopped moving. Her aura was cut down considerably and she was in a daze. At the same time, a swing of its two tails and it swatted at Zinnia who tried to avoid it but they were too large and too fast. She barely dodged the first one and was hit in the waist by the second one, knocking her back and making her crash into the glassy floor. Brenton was going to retaliate by jumping on its back, but it moved from its position too quickly as it made its way to the Enforcers.

It was too late for them to respond properly. The first to notice was Ghost who turned only to be slapped away by a large claw. He collided with the rocky wall. His assault alerted Bianca who stood in front of Blood who was too injured to fight let alone stand. All three heads came down to overwhelm them and take them both, but Azura flew straight down and used her fire to accelerate until she body-slammed into the middle head, bringing it crashing into the ground. The moment she stood up, she used the fire dust in her arms to send a wave of flames at the head on the right, leaving Bianca to fire relentlessly at the head on the left.

They were able to halt the Hydra, but it wasn't enough. " _I need to get this thing away from Blood,"_ Bianca thought as she kept it at bay.

The middle head growled and Azura felt the rumbling beneath her feet. It sprang upward and Azura balanced herself as it moved, backflipping off when it reached its highest point. She changed from fire to ice dust, encasing her staff with it until it was an icy javelin. Ready to throw it, she found Brenton atop the Hydra's back and he plunged Oathburner through its spine. One of the heads shrieked while the other two turned to find the lizard faunus. The King of Flames pulled the trigger and unleashed flames into the wound, sending fire throughout the inside of its body.

The Hydra had fire expelling out of every orifice in its body, making it look like some demonic spirit, but its healing capabilities prevented it from dying. Cutting off its head and burning it from the inside out couldn't kill this thing.

" _How are we supposed to last until dawn?"_ Brenton wondered. His worried thoughts left him open. A tail wrapped around his body, lifting him off its back where Oathburner remained. The wound from the sword healed over it, leaving the weapon stuck in place.

The tail squeezed tighter and Brenton felt more and more constricted. His aura was getting chipped away with every passing second. He could use Boost to overpower the appendage, but he would burn through more of his aura and he wouldn't be able to protect himself from this strong and fast enemy.

The Hydra's left head focused on Brenton and ignored the bullets Bianca sent its way so it could bite down on the King of Flames. It was coming his way until an ice spear pierced its head and ran through its jaw keeping its mouth open and stuck. Azura hit her target but the middle head smacked into her while she was open, slamming her into the ground. The head positioned on the left was still trying to reach Blood, but Bianca was keeping it away, slashing at it with her bayonets. The Grimm was adapting to fighting so many enemies at once.

Brenton was still being crushed and the Grimm head with ice sticking through it was going to attack. It couldn't bite him in its current state, but it did slam the tail into the glassy ground several times, repeatedly beating Brenton until he stopped moving. His aura stopped protecting him after the fourth slam and the two after that left him unconscious and bleeding from his head. All the Hydra had to do now was crush him to death.

The tail holding Brenton began to tighten until it loosened altogether. All the Grimm saw was a red flash and its tail was cut off. It watched Brenton's limp body fall then found Monochrome jetting straight to its face. The machine had its javelin crossbow and it aimed at its face and fired, hitting the Grimm in the middle of its face then the javelin exploded along with the head. Azura's staff was flung across the battlefield and landed on the ground. It was badly burned and more than half of it was blown off, but Azura didn't notice yet.

As Blood fell, he was caught in the arms of Zinnia who positioned herself beneath the Grimm just for this moment. She needed to get her comrade away from the battlefield. The tail she cut off began to flail and flounder around but she ignored it and made sure to get as far away as possible. Bianca did the same with Blood now that Monochrome took the attention of the other two heads. Destroying the head made the Hydra see the droid as its highest priority.

During the commotion, Alexandrite finally regained consciousness and watched as things got worse. Seeing how most people were retreating the battle seemed pretty much lost. Her inner warrior told her to fight to the death, but her brain told her to be smart. Live to fight another day. She slowly made her way back to Ebony's airship, making sure not to grab the Grimm's attention.

Zinnia hooked her whip-sword onto the cliffside where the Vantablacks were and pulled herself and Brenton up to their location. When she reached the top, she didn't find Ebony or Clair. Bianca wasn't as lucky as she couldn't climb or scale the side as quickly as Zinnia so she kept close to the wall.

"...Bianca…" she heard someone say. It was Blood. He finally came to. His arm and leg were still bloodied and it would take months for them to recover. Even then, he would be left with nasty scars. "It's alright. I can keep-"

"Be quiet and get some rest," Bianca told him in a scolding fashion. She was not going to have him overdo it and get himself killed. She laid him against the rocky wall and was prepared to get back into the fight. Until she felt a presence behind her. Turning around, she found Clair and Ebony walking past her and Blood. Zinnia looked down to find her liege and had the same confused expression Bianca shared. What were they doing?

Clair had her pen-sword extended to its furthest length and Ebony had Trois Reines in sword form with her scabbard rifle in hand. It was clear what they intended to do. Neither of them wanted any more of their friends to get hurt or possibly die. It was their turn.

They dashed forward, running headfirst into the fray. Ebony was ahead of Clair as they moved past Azura's staff, Alexandrite, then by Ghost who watched them go with a flabbergasted look.

Azura was still underneath the Grimm and she watched in as the destroyed head was replaced with two more. The situation was getting bleaker. Monochrome was the only one left fighting this thing and it was struggling against an enemy that could recover instantly. All five heads were giving the droid their full attention as one was able to bite down on the machine's arm, piercing through its metal exterior and rip it off with a forceful yank. Monochrome lost its arm but it fired its entire salvo of missiles from its other arms at the heads. Eight missiles hit all the heads and the smoke they created served as a barrier between both fighters. Then, one of the heads came swinging and hit the robot until it collided with the wall. Monochrome had no aura, but its functions were beginning to cease.

The outlook was grim. Basking in victory, the Hydra let out a shriek. All of its head released a high-pitched wail that grated on the ears and bones of everyone in a ten-mile radius.

Each head was raised high in the air and unaware of the threat on its way until it felt something slash at its flesh. The sudden sensation made all the heads look down to find Ebony with her sword in hand. She looked back at the Grimm with intense eyes then aimed her scabbard rifle at it. She fired three shots, one for three different heads, then backed away. The Grimm roared in irritation, but as it did, fire came spewing out of its mouths, eyes, and nostrils.

It remembered how this happened the last time and looked to its back where it found Oathburner still plunged into its flesh but found Clair holding it and pulling the trigger. Fire filled its entire body as Clair did it again, showing the monster no mercy. It was able to stun the Hydra, but it was still able to fight back. Just like last time, it sent one of its tails to capture her, but Clair knew it was coming. She observed and analyzed how this thing fought the others. She quickly and nimbly leaped onto the hilt of Oathburner then pushed herself off of it to head toward the heads and avoid the tails.

Two heads moved toward Clair while the other three dealt with Ebony, attacking enemies from both sides, but they all writhed in pain as a melodious song was heard. As Clair approached the heads, she used Songstress to stun the Grimm by as the pain it felt was tremendous. Clair slashed at two of its heads, aiming for the eyes and she got all of them. Swift, precise strikes she was able to pull off thanks to days of training. For however long she had, two heads were blinded. Ebony was battling the other three as they were still under the effect of Songstress and it made the Charming Vantablack envious. Her semblance wasn't as battle-suited as Clair's.

Ebony looked to Azura who was finally on her feet. The Sky-Blue Warrior let loose a bolt of lightning that scorched one of the dazed heads. It was all she could muster at the moment. Her stubbornness was keeping her in the fight, but the fatigue was finally getting to her. Whatever aura she had left wasn't enough to protect her any longer. She fell to her knees, cursing her body for giving out before she was ready to withdraw.

Seeing her Enforcer fall, Clair landed on the ground near Azura and Ebony. She took hold of the former and got away from the scene, ensuring her friend's safety. The only member of the Enforcers remaining on the battlefield was Ghost but he knew the fight was lost with everyone withdrawing. Seeing Clair come his way with Azura, he knew it was time for them to retreat.

The only ones left were Ebony and Monochrome. Clair was no longer singing so her semblance had no hold on the Hydra who regained its composure and focusing entirely on Ebony. The Charming Vantablack didn't flinch or falter in the face of such a tremendous enemy. She didn't plan on letting all her ambitions end here. She wasn't going to today be the final chapter in her story. Her next chapter came after she defeated Team VRSZ.

"I'm not going to die here," Ebony said to herself and her silver eyes began to glow.

The Hydra lunged four of its heads at her and all of them were knocked to the side. Ebony didn't expect this and her steely gaze was replaced with astonishment as Monochrome tackled all the heads. It flew in with all the force it could muster to fulfill its number one priority; protecting Ebony. Seeing her machine go so far for her moved her heart in a way she didn't think Monochrome could.

The fifth head swooped in and crunched into the robot's hide. Its teeth were ripping into its exterior and damaging it further. Monochrome's functions finally ceased. It stopped moving and was laid limp in the Hydra's jaws.

That was the final push Ebony needed. In fury and sorrow, Ebony screamed and her eyes shined brightly, filling the area in silver light.

Clair had her back to the incident until she heard Ebony's cry. She turned and saw nothing but blinding light. It lasted for quite some time before fading away. Zinnia witnessed the whole thing and knew it was the mysterious power Ebony possessed. Brenton was safely inside the airship so she leaped off the cliff to go to her liege. Bianca watched as well then saw Zinnia jump back down then run to the battle. She wanted to go there and make sure Clair was safe, but she had to watch over Blood.

Alexandrite approached them and Bianca grabbed her Archangels. The Bedazzled Behemoth simply scoffed them then began climbing the wall. Returning to the airship was her only objective. Confused for a moment, Bianca ignored what just happened and went back to looking at the light. She felt a hand on her arm and she turned to see Blood. He was more awake and aware of his surroundings than he was earlier. His arm and leg were still grievously maimed, but he was leaning against the wall with his good arm while grabbing her hand with the wounded one.

"Go on. I can manage now," he told her with more life in his voice. Looks aside, his words sounded more reassuring than last time. Bianca helped him lay on the wall in a more comfortable fashion.

"I'll be back," Bianca whispered to him gently before dashing to the others.

The light of Ebony's silver eyes finally faded completely. There was a glimmer remaining in her eyes but the power went away. This time, Ebony was still standing. The power did not overwhelm her this time. She was able to stand on her feet and look at her work. The Hydra stood before her completely petrified. It was turned to stone with Monochrome's body still in its mouth. The robot wasn't harmed any further, but it was still badly damaged.

In a few seconds, the Hydra's body began to crumble into dust. As it did, Oathburner fell to the glassy ground and so did Monochrome. The droid's motionless body just laid there. Ebony looked at it with pain.

" _I'll take better care of you,"_

"How did you do that?" Ebony heard Clair say from behind. She was accompanied by Ghost and holding Azura.

"I'm not sure. This is still new to me…" Ebony stopped herself from divulging any more than she intended. Clair was still with VRSZ. She was still an enemy.

A moment of silence passed and Ebony approached the remains of Monochrome. There was no way she could carry all of him, but her worries were relieved when she found Zinnia run past her cousin and come to her side. Good. Both of them could carry Monochrome's remains then find a mechanic to fix it.

However, as they were about to take their leave, "Ebony," Zinnia said softly. Ebony looked up to see Clair, Ghost, and Azura block her path with Bianca coming in from the rear. She remembered her conversation with Clair earlier. This was a smart move on her cousin's part. Striking them down while they were weak was a clever and deceitful move. And just like in their previous conversation, she would've done the same. She couldn't blame Clair.

"Looks like we aren't getting out of here without a fight," Ebony stated, almost laughing at the situation.

Zinnia dropped the parts of Monochrome she had and went for her whip-sword, alerting the Enforcers to wield their weapons. With all the fighting they've done and the injuries they've sustained, Zinnia and Ebony felt they could hold their own against Clair and her weakened Enforcers. Clair thought the same about Ebony and Zinnia.

Before the battle could start, a roar echoed through the air. It grabbed everyone's attention and no one knew where it came from. Then the roar was heard again but it was louder, closer, and everyone could tell where it was coming from.

Jumping down from the cliffside and landing far behind Ebony and Zinnia was a Grimm. This Grimm was very different from the Hydra but they recognized it. It was smaller than the Hydra and humanoid in shape, being roughly taller than all of them and having two pairs of arms. Its entire body was black except for its claw-like hands, feet, and head which were all covered in bone-like armor. The Grimm had two pairs of eyes on its face with one set further apart than the other, giving the Grimm a wider field of vision than most.

Ebony and Zinnia heard of this Grimm. It was one of the ones they were hunting. It was the only one of its kind and never settled in one place. It always traveled until it found its next prey. With no official name, it was known as the Roaming Grimm.

The bone mask split apart, revealing its mouth and it let out another scream. Despite its size compared to the Hydra, Ebony knew this thing was incredibly dangerous and knew she couldn't fight it right now. None of them could.

Any idea of battling each other disappeared the minute the Roaming Grimm arrived. Ebony doubted she could use her silver eyes to kill it. The power was unpredictable. While contemplating what to do, Bianca activated Stardust and had her particles fill the space between them and the Grimm. A finger snap and the particles turned to ice, creating a tall and thick icy wall between them and that thing. Using that used up the last of her aura.

Everyone understood fighting in their current state was foolish. They all ran away.

Ebony made sure to grab Oathburner. Clair was still assisting Azura with her walking, but the Cobalt warrior pushed herself off of Clair and stood on her feet. She had a little time to recover, but she felt better. She could at least walk on her own and give Clair a head start. She slowed her walking until she stopped to turn around.

"What are you doing? Come on," Ghost told Azura.

"I'll keep it busy. You guys go ahead," she told him. Clair and Bianca stopped as well, but Ebony and Zinnia kept going. Once the Grimm was no longer a threat, they'd have to deal with Enforcers.

"Azura, you can't-" Clair called out but Azura countered her.

"Even if my aura runs out, I can still use dust, so get out of here. Now!" She already activated her dust tattoos, cloaking her arms and shoulders in flames and taking a fighting stance. Unfortunately, she learned of the state of her staff. "Bare hands it is."

The Grimm's fist punched through the ice then three more followed through. There was no room to argue. Bianca needed to get Clair out of here. Ghost was by her side and Blood was waiting a distance away. Their airship wasn't far from his location and Azura was fast when traveling in the air. She believed in her teammate.

The ice wall shattered and shards fell to the ground. Azura got herself in her flight stance. She released flames from beneath her feet and propelled herself forward as she made her way to the Roaming Grimm like a missile. As she approached the Grimm, she reeled back a burning fist and was ready to destroy it in one blow. She threw her fist and it collided with the Grimm, but instead of the face as she desired, it connected with the Roaming Grimm's open palm, surprising Azura greatly.

In two swift movements, Azura felt two body blows hit her and she was knocked back. She was on the ground and the Grimm was already on top of her. It punched her, but she was able to avoid the blow aimed for her head by swerving out of its path. She felt one of the other fists hit her stomach and the air was blown out of her. Fighting something with extra arms while pinned was a new experience for her and it wasn't a good one. A flurry of blows came her way until she had enough. Her aura was low and she hadn't fully adapted it into her fighting style, but Azura used Pulse to push herself upward into the air while knocking the Roaming Grimm away from her. Her aura broke with that burst of power. She used fire to levitate herself in the air.

" _This thing is too strong. Did the other's make it-"_ her thoughts were cut short when the Roaming Grimm grabbed her foot and pulled her down.

For the Grimm to reach her at this height, it must have incredibly jumping power and leg strength. She couldn't fight it and defeat it. Not with her condition. The best she could do was escape, but the window for that seemed small. A tight hold on her ankle and the Grimm threw her back to the ground. She landed on the sand with her right side taking most of the impact. It hurt but she could still move. She was about to fly away until the Grimm showed itself in front of her. It was fast.

Raising its arms over its head, the monster was ready to crush Azura. She saw no way out of this, but her warrior spirit refused to accept defeat. Raising her hands in an act of defiance, the Grimm brought its own down and a huge thud was heard. Azura didn't feel any pain or the looming presence of the Grimm. She dared to look up and didn't see the Grimm anymore but she heard its growling from behind accompanied by the flapping of wings. Azura turned her head to see her enemy fighting a new opponent.

Landing four punches before being kicked away, Blood had his one good fist up. The bat faunus couldn't stand with his leg injury. In order to fight or move around, he relied solely on his wings. He hovered a few feet off the ground. He was still injured and his aura wasn't protecting him, but he was still fighting.

This didn't make any sense. Why was he- "Why are you here?! This is dangerous! Get out!" Azura yelled in anger and worry.

"I could say the same to you," he told her with a smirk.

He was right, but she knew he shouldn't be fighting at all. The Grimm ran toward him before she could say anything else, luckily, Blood's flight speed was faster than hers as he flew backward to avoid two punches. He quickly moved forward after the Grimm missed to kick it in the neck, pushing it a few inches away. His body wasn't as strong as it usually was. He couldn't injure it as much as he wanted.

As he kept a cautious eye on the Grimm, he felt the air chill. Without turning around, he could tell Azura was using ice dust. Spires of ice past him and they were heading toward the Grimm, impaling its torso and legs but none of the wounds were deep enough. Blood could tell Azura was using her dust tattoos too much. Like a muscle, they were weakening from overuse. If she used it for this fight again, she wouldn't be able to fly away. The Grimm broke the ice holding him back.

"Azura, fly out of here. Now!" he shouted.

"Like hell, I'm going to leave you here," she retorted. "What do you think you can do by yourself?"

"Keep you alive!" he yelled, looking her way. His eyes showed he was angry but there was a softness that demonstrated how much he cared.

"And what about you?!" she yelled back. Blood didn't reply. Her heart began to fill with dread. What was he intending to do?

The pit forming in her heart was felt by the Roaming Grimm. It was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. It knew who its next target was. Blood didn't have to be psychic to figure out the Grimm's next move. The question was if he could properly counter it. With his body in tatters, there wasn't much he could do, but he planned to stop it regardless.

He flew into the Grimm's path, the Grimm had its claw hand out to strike Azura, and Azura had wind dust forming in the palm of her hand and she was condensing it into a compact orb. She dashed forward to attack before it could. All three fighters were on a collision course with each other.

Ebony's airship was already airborne and flying away from the ravine. With Brenton unconscious and Monochrome in shambles, she couldn't afford to stay any longer. The ship was on autopilot and it allowed her to and Zinnia to tend to their injuries. Zinnia was wrapping Brenton's wounds in his room while Zinnia watched what she could of the battle unfold from the common area's window.

Clair's airship was taking off and flying toward the battle so they could recover their teammates. Bianca and Ghost were waiting as Clair opened the hangar doors so Blood and Azura could get it. The doors opened in time for her to witness the three fighters engage each other.

Blood moved in to intercept the Roaming Grimm who aimed for Azura and she planned on countering with her own move. A thrust of its arm toward her and it missed. Blood was able to block it, leaving Azura free to attack. She slammed her wind orb against the Grimm's chest and the compressed air sent it flying several yards away until it reached the edge of the ravine. Her arm was pulsing with soreness, but it was better than the Roaming Grimm whose arm seemed to be blown off after her hit. Triumphant in her last-ditch effort, Azura couldn't help but smile.

Viewing the battle from the outside were Clair and Ebony. Their eyes were lifeless and tears began to fall from Clair's before they did her cousin. The Lady of Nexus fell to her knees and the Charming Vantablack couldn't stop herself from trembling.

"See, I told you we could stop it togeth-" Azura turned to speak with Blood, but she stopped when she saw the sight.

Blood stood there with a smirk on his face when he realized they won. However, piercing his stomach was the severed arm of the Grimm. He was able to protect Azura the best way he could; by sacrificing himself.

The arm impaling him began to fade away into black vapor. He was glad for that. Removing it any other way would've been painful.

Azura couldn't hear anything around her. She couldn't hear her ragged breathing, Clair's terrified screams, or the wailing of the Roaming Grimm. The only thing she could do was look. She looked at Blood in disbelief.

"This isn't happening. It can't be real,"

"Why… WHY WOULD YOU GO SO FAR?!" she shouted and her voice cracked. Staying angry was the only thing she could do right now. It was the only thing keeping the tears at bay.

He let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding onto then coughed up blood. Too much blood. His body began to lose balance and he was going to fall face-first into the sand until Azura caught him. Blood's body was getting cold.

Ebony was still silent as her airship flew away. It was on autopilot and she knew logically she should go, but her heart… her heart was broken. She stumbled to the couch and fell over. Her lips quivered but she never let out a breath. She silently wept over the loss of one of her Champions.

Clair's airship came down and Clair sprinted toward Blood and fell to her knees in front of Blood and laid him on his back. Her hands were already stained red just like the ground beneath them.

"No! No! Don't go! Don't go! You can't die now! What am I supposed to do without you?!"

Face covered in tears, Clair pleaded to Blood to stay with her. She couldn't lose someone again. After losing Sterling, she didn't want to lose anyone else. Who does?

Blood's eyes were losing their light but he was still there with them. His smile persisted despite the pain he felt and he looked at Clair. "You'll be fine. There's nothing you can't accomplish, Clair."

"But I don't want to lose you," she told him as her tears fell on his face. She didn't care what she could or couldn't do. It didn't matter to her if her loved ones died around her. "I love you, Blood."

It was Blood's turn to cry. Tears welled up in his eyes as he said, "I love you too, which is why you'll be fine. I'm still in your heart, so I'm never really gone."

His words sent her over as Clair began to cry loudly. This alerted Ghost and Bianca who were making their way outside. Azura felt the tears glide down her face. How was she supposed to handle this? This was happening because she didn't retreat and tried to play the hero.

"Azura," he called out to her, "This isn't your fault. One of us was going to die against that thing. I… just made the choice for us."

"Then it's my fault for not seeing it. You shouldn't pay for my-"

"Azura," he interrupted, "There's more for you to do than me. Clair's going to need you in the future. Look after her for me."

She couldn't even think of anything to say. What could she say? Nothing. This was a man's dying wish.

"Oh, one more thing. Tell Remus I'm sorry. We won't be able to have that rematch."

The guilt consumed Azura at that moment. How was she going to explain this when they got home?

One final breath of life passed through his lungs. Ash Blood died.

His eyes were devoid of light but his smile was still there. Even in death, he wanted to tell the others everything was okay.

Ghost and Bianca made it outside but they were too late. He already passed. After several minutes of mourning Clair and her remaining Enforcers took Blood's body onto the airship and they departed for Nexus, carrying the news to the others.

The mission was an utter failure.

Everyone held themselves up in their rooms after placing Blood in his. Regret, pain, sorrow, frustration, and anger filled the vehicle. Clair felt the most sorrow. She cried herself to sleep. These emotions were felt by everyone. However, there was one emotion felt by a specific someone.

Azura was resentful. Her eyes were red and puffy after crying for so long. She hated and cursed everything that caused this; Ebony, the Hydra, the Roaming Grimm, and herself. This guilt that was born in her chest felt like it would remain there forever, unless… The Hydra was dead. Going after Ebony and her Champions was out of the question. There was only one option left. The only way to make up for her mistake and avenge Blood.

"That Grimm is gonna die by my hands," she vowed as dawn finally broke.

* * *

 **This was probably the hardest chapter I had to do. It's up there with the final chapters of Volume 5. Even while writing this, I wasn't expecting this outcome. This was just the worst thing happening at the worst possible time. Is it weird I'm crying for a fictional character? I don't think so.**

 **Goodbye, Ash Blood**


	57. The Color of Vengeance…

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. My laptop screen cracked and I had to wait to get a replacement so I couldn't add any chapters or even work on new ones. I'm back and ready to make more!**

* * *

 **Setting: Nexus**

Today felt eerily quiet and seemed to stay in one single moment. It felt just like the last few days for many in Nexus and it started the day after Ash Blood's death. The harsh desert land was unforgiving even to the dead. The loose sand made for a bad foundation to bury a body, so holding a funeral was more difficult than Clair realized, but she made sure to honor her friend. With a large quantity of earth dust, she created a large stone area spanning a quarter of a mile. It was here she had Blood buried and held his funeral. Clair, the Enforcers, VRSZ, Onyx, C.P., and the council members all attended the service to pay their respects.

The area was considered sacred grounds. Clair only allowed the people in attendance to return to this place. Every other citizen was forbidden.

To say the ceremony went off without a hitch was a lie. As the burial began, many people cried and shed tears. The person who lost all composure was Remus. Aside from his teammates, Blood was his first friend and someone who came from his original home. His despairing was understandable but it didn't make this process any less painful. Clair was probably the second-worst at the funeral. She fell to her knees after the burial and sobbed for the longest time. It took Violet and Bianca together to remove her from Blood's grave. Seeing their cousin like that destroyed Onyx and C.P., remembering how similar her behavior was when Sterling was killed.

After the funeral, Bianca and Azura took time to carve into a stone serving as Blood's tombstone.

 _'Ash Blood, Incredible Hero, Friend & Brother'_

The whole time they were outside, Azura was silent. Through the ceremony, the burial, the engraving. Everything. Her eyes were sharp and focused on something, something far away.

Even after the ceremony, the day felt empty. Remus spent the rest of his day secluded in his room. Violet asked him to come out but he didn't answer her. He didn't respond to anything she, Silver, Zelts, or anyone else said. Violet understood this and let him have his time, but she was fed up with him on the second day. The moment he refused to acknowledge she was at the door, she kicked through it, breaking the door in half and scaring the young Cobalt out of his funk. He was still wallowing in his bed when she breached his room. She said nothing as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and dragged him through the Duplex until she practically threw him against the living room couch.

His eyes were still red and his face showed he was crying recently. Seeing him like this sent a tinge of pain in Violet's heart, but she remained firm behind her actions.

"That's enough. You need to get over it," she said, regretting how harsh she sounded. Violet was glad none of her teammates nor Clair were nearby right now. The way Remus looked at her made her soul sink. Fresh tears were on the verge of falling. His head hung low in front of her.

"It hurts, Violet…It hurts not being able to see him anymore…" he said through his sobbing. I miss him… I miss Blood."

When she was taken to her family in Atlas, Violet heard from the others how Remus was more aggressive with everything he did. Zelts and Silver told her it was because he wanted her back. Deep down, she was touched, but seeing how he reacted when someone close to him died was different. It was just like anyone going through the death of a loved one. Knowing he lost his friend and there was nothing he could do about it… How helpless he must've felt.

Without another word, Violet gracefully dove down to the couch and wrapped her arms around him. There were times she needed to be firm with her boys and times she needed to be soft. This was a soft, tender moment. She did nothing but rub Remus on the back as he held her tight and sobbed into her shoulder. All he needed to do was let it all out and all she could do was wait for whatever came afterward.

The crying lasted for half an hour and Remus just rested in her embrace. That lasted for an hour. She just let him sleep in her arms then placed him on the couch with his head resting in her lap. This was a first for Violet. She has never done this for anyone, but given the circumstances, she didn't put too much thought into it. Eventually, the others crossed into the living room and saw the sight, but Violet paid them any mind. She didn't care how out of character this seemed. It was necessary.

Silver walked in on the couple and stared. He was noticed by Violet who looked back at him. They stared at each other in silence, relaying a message that didn't need to be said. The gunman nodded and walked away, respecting the moment between Violet and Remus and saying nothing.

Next to stumble into the living room was Clair who seemed to be in a similar state Remus was in. Violet found her and noticed her longing expression. She sighed because she knew the question her friend was about to ask.

"Sure," Violet said, slightly defeated.

She sat on the couch with Remus's head resting on her left thigh and Clair's resting on her right. Remus was sleeping while Clair was cuddling, loving the intimacy as she nuzzled into Violet. The Scarred Flower's eyebrow twitched as Clair invaded her space, but knowing she was still in mourning and Evergreen was in Vale, she allowed Clair this one time use.

The apartment complex the Enforcers lived in has been quiet for some time. Bianca had been spending less time there during the day, mostly returning only to sleep or not coming back at all, preferring to bunk with Silver. Ghost's activities were overall the same, but he was quieter than he usually was. He didn't complain about his work as he used to. And Azura held herself up in her apartment, rarely coming out these past few days. She just sat in her living room and basked in the silence. "I wonder if it's this quiet for him now?"

She regretted uttering that question, grieving over the fact he was dead. Could even hear after death? Feel? See? Azura told herself he couldn't. Death was the end. "No matter what, he can't come back."

This melancholy mentality did nothing for her. Spitting curses, Azura violently got off her bed and walked out of her room then her home. She only walked a few steps forward to a door across from hers.

Blood's door.

It was unlocked, to no one's surprise, and she took a few steps in. She has been here many times before, but it has been appropriately lifeless since he was gone. Ordinary furniture and ordinary appliances, but the focal point of Blood's apartment was the array of plant life. Azura saw these flowers and cacti every time she came here. Blood made a hobby of collecting and nurturing them. Several times, she accompanied Blood to the trading district and watched him purchase or trade for flowers that were rare in Vacuo or were from other continents. She thought it was a weird, unexpected interest for someone like Blood, but now she made sure to water each of them every day.

A knock on the door.

Azura turned and figured it was Bianca or Clair coming over to cheer her up. Opening the door, she was surprised to find her younger cousin staring at her. He was in worse shape than her, but he was already up and about.

"Hey," he said weakly.

"Little brother," she said with some warmth. A closer look and Azura could see the redness in his eyes. He was crying earlier.

"I wanted to see how you were doing. Ghost said if you weren't in your room, then you'd be here."

" _My actions are that predictable now?"_ she thought. "Thanks. I'm…" she sighed, "I'm not doing great. I'm pissed off. Angry. I hate this."

What was the point of lying?

Remus had a small smile but they were partnered with sad eyes. "I miss him too," he whispered.

She remembered the last time he and Blood spoke to each other. They promised to have a match to settle who was stronger. Not once did the young Cobalt win, but he felt confident about this one. Now, he'll never get that chance. How does that unfulfillment weigh on him?

"Azura, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What?"

"What was the Grimm that killed Blood like? What did it look like?"

She was not expecting that. "Wha- Why?"

"I just want to know what the Roaming Grimm looks like. In case I ever run into it." His eyes were downcast, avoiding her gaze. She knew what he was thinking. She had the same look when it happened.

"Remus," she called out his name loudly. He flinched momentarily. She knew it. He reacted like a child caught in a lie. "If I could find the Roaming Grimm, what would you do?"

He didn't answer. His intentions were easy to read. She could only sigh in disapproval. Going after that thing alone is dangerous, even for you," she chastised and Remus's shoulders slumped.

"Unless," she started and Remus peeked up.

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

Sighing in relief, Violet laid on the couch eagle-spread. Two hours of sleeping on the couch. Before that, Clair left her and Remus, leaving her to talk with him a little before he left to see Azura.

"I just hope he'll be alright," she said aloud.

"Don't worry, Remus is an idiot, but he's not stupid," a voice said and Violet jumped up from the couch. She found Silver leaning on the back of the couch, looking at her with a grin. "Our boy is going to be fine. We just need to give him time."

His words did make her feel better. "As long as he does what we discuss, Remus will be-"

Zelts burst through the front door, alarming his two friends to his presence. Before either of them could ask why he came in like that, he shouted, "Clair wants to see us! Remus and Azura left Nexus!"

"Son of a bitch," Violet said, exasperated.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

The airship soared a few hundred above the desert. The looming metal vessel moved with grace despite the roaring of the engine. The pilot made sure to keep a close eye on the ground below. Instead of Brenton, Ebony took the helm of her airship and surveyed the area. Eyes focused and full of determination, she searched for the Grimm who caused her so much grief.

All the reports from small villages and settlements said the Roaming Grimm should be somewhere in this area. This information was vital to her. Killing, destroying eviscerating the monstrosity that killed Blood was her only objective. Nothing else came before that.

"Dammit. Nothing," she grumbled to herself. She found no sign of the Roaming Grimm. " _And this area is too close to Nexus territory. The chances of being allowed in their borders are abysmally low, considering Clair might blame me for…"_

"Clair," Brenton's voice called out to her, snapping her out of her train of thought.

"What is it?" she asked, not coating her words in her playful tone. She was serious.

"How long is our 'guest' going to be with us? Can't we just dump her somewhere?" he asked in annoyance.

She knew why Brenton was vexed with Alexandrite's stay. Their former enemy walked among them and was even given a room. She didn't have free range to roam around the airship, but she was still brought meals and treated fairly. She was treated like a guest, much to Brenton's irritation. Zinnia voiced her concerns too and Ebony wasn't deaf to their plights.

"With Monochrome being repaired, we'll need the extra muscle. Plus, having her here where we can keep an eye on her is better than having her runabout," she explained.

"Does that make her a Champion like us?" he asked and got a laugh from her.

"Of course not. If anything, she's a guest party member. For now, her addition is temporary."

"For now?" Brenton repeated with suspicion. Clair looked back at him. 'Don't worry about it,' was what her face said to him. He rolled his eyes in acceptance.

Their conversation ended but as soon as it did, Ebony heard her scroll going off. Someone was calling her. She picked up her scroll to see who wanted to speak. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers when she read the name.

 _Ash Blood_

 **Setting: Desert**

Remus watched Azura with concern and doubt. They were in the middle of nowhere in Clair's hovercar which she took without permission. They were doing a lot of things he didn't approve of but hoped the payoff would be worth it. He kept his eyes on his cousin who had a scroll in her hand.

"Um, are you sure this is going to work?" he dared to ask.

"Yes," she said like a statement.

"Clair and Violet are gonna-"

"What they don't know won't hurt them. Killing the Grimm on our own is what they'll be mad about. As long we don't tell them how it's done we'll be-"

Sand and wind picked up around them, blowing in their faces and scattering everywhere. Both Cobalts heard the roaring on an engine and felt the ringing tremble in their bones. An airship was descending to the ground near them. Azura and Remus backed away as the vessel landed.

She was here.

The younger Cobalt was nervous about this gambit. He wouldn't have thought of doing this. Azura, on the other hand, remained unfazed. She just watched as the doors to the airship opened, finding Ebony and Zinnia exiting and coming toward them. The Paragon had her whip-sword already in her hand, showing she was ready for a fight if one arose. Ebony didn't have her weapon by her side. The only thing she had equipped was her charming smile.

The Vantablack-Underland duo approached the last of the Cobalts, standing only a few feet away from them. Zinnia had her eyes on Remus and Azura but she clearly wasn't looking at them like they were people. She saw them as a potential threat. The two last remaining members of the Cobalt tribe of Vacuo.A legacy of warriors. There was no way she would think they weren't a threat.

Ebony could only smile at the two in front of her as her eyes trailed over to Remus. She still found him fetching. Months have passed since they first met and she could tell by a glance he changed from boy to man. He matured when she wasn't looking and it pained her not to be there for the transition. Her glances must've turned into a stare because Remus was getting uncomfortable and Azura stood between them.

"Eyes over here," Azura told Ebony, snapping her fingers to get Ebony to look at her and continued, "I gave you our demands and seeing as you're here means you agree, right?"

She was met with a smile that only grew wider. "Of course! I think the conditions are fair. Welcome aboard." Ebony turned to walk back to the airship inviting the two Cobalts into her home. Zinnia walked a few feet behind Ebony, acting as a buffer between her and the duo.

Boarding Ebony's ship felt very wrong to Remus. The interior looked very close to Clair's but knowing it belonged to an enemy made the place feel perverted, wrong. Walking into the common area, he and Azura found Brenton, casually sitting on the couch which was strange for the two Cobalts. Most of their encounters with the King of Flames, a battle ensues. Not seeing him in a fighting stance felt awkward. Neither of them knew how to handle this situation, but Azura played it off better than her cousin. She simply nodded in his direction and he nodded back.

Ebony told him not to fight them and he was keeping his promise, but he wondered how the Cobalts would react to finding Alexandrite in their midst. Probably not in a good way, he concluded.

"Just enjoy the ride until we find the Grimm, then it's yours to kill," Ebony said in a cheerful tone that threw Brenton for a loop but he maintained his stoic bravado. Her attitude changed so quickly it was scary. His friend was a wonder and he didn't know if that was good or bad.

"Right. Don't forget," Azura warned despite the numbers greatly against her and Remus. He found his cousin to be fearless and didn't know if that was good or bad.

"We won't interfere with your kill. I know. I'm surprised Clair and Violet agreed to this little joint operation," Ebony said in false surprise. A flicker of Remus's eye looking away told her everything she needed to know. "...Or maybe they don't agree or even know about this. Is this a personal family outing?"

"The reason doesn't concern you," Azura spat back

"But it does and I know the reason," Ebony said, dropping her facade and speaking seriously. "Think whatever you want, but Ash was a Champion as well. That alone is the reason I'm agreeing to your terms. This is all for him. Now, play amongst yourselves while I search for the Roaming Grimm."

Her words were used with Charm and she did this not to manipulate Remus and Azura, but to stir their hearts and rouse their fighting spirit. Remus and Azura couldn't wait to get their hands on the monster who killed their friend.


	58. Is Cobalt Blue

**Setting: Ebony's Airship**

"So, how do you like being in our company?" the Charming Vantablack asked with a giddy giggle following afterward.

The question was directed at Remus but he didn't know how to answer. It wasn't that he didn't have an answer, but he felt too compromised to respond to Ebony's question. He sat on the couch with his face scrunched up and his legs entangled with Ebony's. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he could feel her breath on his left ear and neck. The closeness made the young Cobalt extremely uncomfortable and he wasn't the only one. Zinnia, Brenton, and Azura felt the same way. Ebony ignored all of them, including Remus, and pressed her cheek against his.

"This is what it's like on the outside," Brenton commented, pitying his fellow man. "It's still weird watching her."

"I don't think she ever got over the boy craze part of her teenage years, Zinnia added as some kind of answer.

"That or she's an obvious pervert." Brenton's words felt truer than Zinnia's and she knew it. Her liege had an unhealthy interest in the opposite sex.

All they could hear was Ebony's giggling and Remus's grumbling. He was not pleased with his predicament. He found a scroll in front of him and noticed it was Ebony's. "Let's take a picture to remember this," she said and snapped a photo too fast for him to decline. "I'm going to send this to Clair and-"

She suddenly felt an arm on her chest and it tore her apart from the Blue Flicker. She whined like a child and found Azura serving the role of her cousin's guardian. Her face showed no-nonsense as she had her eyes glued to the Vantablack getting too handsy with her cousin. "You seem to be having a lot of fun, so I take it you found the Roaming Grimm already. After all, you're just lounging around, right?"

Ebony only laughed.

"And you," Azura addressed Remus in a scolding tone, "learn to refuse someone once in a while. It's not gonna hurt to fight back." Remus looked to the floor because he knew she was right. This temporary alliance was not an excuse for Ebony to do whatever she wanted.

"Since you asked, I have been able to pinpoint where the Grimm will most likely be headed next. I'm certain we will find it."

"How sure?" Remus asked out of pure curiosity and Ebony loved the look he made.

"Ninety-eight percent sure," she said in a sing-song voice, speaking as if she was explaining things to a child. All Azura could do was roll her eyes. She hated how Ebony's confidence in everything seemed permanent.

"That's high." Remus grinned at Azura who didn't feel the same way, given their current company. Even if Monochrome was temporarily out of the way, the rest of the Champions were still a massive threat. Ebony's word is the only thing preventing a betrayal and she hoped it was enough.

 **Setting: Nexus**

"What is wrong with our children? They just won't listen," Clair whined to Violet. She and Violet were outside the duplex with their respective groups. With their Cobalts missing, they needed to discuss their next course of action.

Silver brought everyone water as they talked in the hot sun and made sure to stay by the door. He didn't want to be outside for too long. It was the same for Ghost who didn't like sweating. Bianca grabbed a cup of ice water from her boyfriend and stood between Clair and Zelts who leaned against the duplex. Clair stood within the group while Violet was listening in from their driveway.

She was working on Fantasia. Onyx was kind enough to teach her the difference between a car and a hovercar and she was a fast learner. Underneath Fantasia, Violet was still giving her friend her attention. "They aren't children, but you're right about them being reckless. I knew Remus was distraught over Blood and the look in Azura's eyes was obvious, but I didn't think…"

"Taking matters into their own hands is stupid," Ghost commented disapprovingly.

"Those two were bonded to Blood more than the rest of us. They all came from the same home and they were the last survivors. Even though he wasn't a Cobalt, they thought of him like family…"

"So did we," Ghost added with more venom than he wanted. He pulled back from his aggressive tone. "It's not like he was their only friend."

Silver nudged Ghost's shoulder. He understood the loss. They were both going through it.

"Azura took my hovercar. They can go quite a distance, but it's not like we can't find them with an airship. We'll find them eventually, then give them a good scolding. Maybe punish them if my car is scratched."

"Some harsh words might be enough," Zelts chimed in. Another chime was the sound of Clair's scroll.

She received a message and judging from her face, it was something unexpected. Her brows furrowed and her nose scrunched. Her usual pretty expression was warped with confusion and perhaps irritation. "Um… I may have to punish them. Severely."

Her words confused everyone around her. The Lady of Nexus turned her scroll so her screen was visible to everyone.

"Idiots," Bianca said, surprising everyone. She wasn't the type to insult others and usually reserved insults for Silver and Ghost exclusively.

It was hard for Zelts to deny she was right. This was too foolish even for them.

Violet pulled herself out from beneath Fantasia and saw everyone's faces. The only word she could come up with to fit the description was stupefied. Her eyes turned to the screen and she focused to see what was on it.

It was a picture of an angry Remus and Ebony with the latter cuddling up to him. Some captions came with this image.

" _I caught a wild Remus!"_

"I never thought I would say this; I'm going to kill Remus," Violet said with an eerily calm face.

SIlver and Zelts recoiled in fear for their young friend. If this Grimm didn't kill him, she will.

 **Setting: Ruined Settlement**

Bloodstained sand was everywhere, and structures were reduced to piles of rubble. It was the same seen nearly everyone in Vacuo was used to. A group of people tried to establish themselves and they were destroyed. Wiped off the map before they had a place on it. This was nothing new.

Above the site was Ebony's airship and standing on top of it was Ebony herself. She scanned the area below in search of people who luckily survived the catastrophe or the thing that caused it; the Roaming Grimm.

"See anything?" Remus asked as he walked to her side. He knelt to survey the area as well.

Ebony didn't turn her head but her eyes were on him. She grinned mischievously. Quietly approaching her right was Azura. She said nothing as she looked down at the destruction. However, Ebony could tell the Sky-Blue Warrior was watching her like a Nevermore. There hasn't been one time she left her alone, or more precisely, Azura hasn't left her alone with Remus once. She wasn't surprised. It was written all over her face what she intended to do with him.

"Let's focus on the mission," Azura stated to everyone before jumping off the airship.

She activated the fire dust in her ankles to release small, strong bursts of flames to slow her descent. When she reached the ground, she already found Remus there, undoubtedly using his semblance to cover the distance. The two of them stood in the middle of the ruined town looking in all directions for their prey.

"I don't see it," Remus said as he kept looking, using the scope of his bionic eye to increase the range of his vision.

"It's here," Azura told him, "I can feel it."

There was still nothing around them. Nothing to be seen or heard.

Then, dread.

A dark feeling overwhelmed the area. Bloodlust. Carnage. Death.

It was coming.

"Ready, little brother?" Azura asked her cousin.

"Yes," was his reply as a black beast sprang toward them.

Appearing out of nowhere and screaming a disturbing wail. It was the same as the last time Azura encountered it. The Roaming Grimm approached them as it climbed atop the tallest pile of debris. It looked down on them in silence with its three arms twitching.

The Charming Vantablack watched from above as she did before and noticed something new about the Grimm. Its body had more bone plating around its body, arms, and legs. Azura acknowledged it too and wondered what was going on. Then, the bone armor began to recede into its body. Selective armor? The reason didn't matter much to her. If its arm could be blown off, it could be killed.

The Grimm's head shifted in Azura's direction and she could feel its eyes on her. Both of them knew the fight had already started.

She blinked and the Roaming Grimm was gone. The pile of rubble the monster stood on top of fell apart. She wasn't mentally prepared yet and she regretted it. If she were ready, then this wouldn't have happened. It was just like the first time she saw the Grimm and Blood got involved and she knew how that turned out. This time, the Grimm lunged for her at tremendous speed, but the other Cobalt was faster. Without drawing Delta, Remus intercepted the Grimm before it could reach Azura, kicking it in its abdominals with enough force to send it flying back into a pile of wood. He landed several feet in front of her. He was ready for the battle. Why wasn't she?

"I thought you said you were-"

"Shut up," she interrupted harshly, "not all of us are insanely fast."

His expression was unknown to her as she faced his back. Did he feel hurt by her brashness? She figured not as she watched him draw Delta. He split his sword into two and threw the single-edged sword portion to Azura and he kept the smaller short sword. With her staff gone, she had no weapon to fight with. He bettered their chances by doing this.

The rubble beneath their feet began to rumble and a man-sized mound formed where the Grimm was launched. It began to move towards them hastily until it reached Remus. Three black arms protruded from the ground and took a vice-like grip on Remus's arms with the third grabbing his neck. The Roaming Grimm rose and glared at the one who attacked it. Remus had a serious face and he didn't falter from his windpipe slowly being crushed.

This Grimm was fast and strong. How experienced was it in combat?

The Grimm continued to tighten its grip until it felt nothing and saw blue fog. It found nothing in its sight except a flash of steel and lightning. Lightning ran across its body as Azura pierced the Grimm with the sword imbued with lightning dust.

She aimed straight for their chest but felt resistance to her attack. It didn't fully connect as she expected, but she knew this wasn't going to be an easy fight. As the fog cleared, Azura could see the Roaming Grimm's chest had one plating covering it. The armor inside itself came out and protected it from serious damage, but the fact the Roaming Grimm anticipated her attack impressed Azura. This Grimm was cunning and had experience fighting Huntsmen. Experienced Grimm was always the most dangerous.

She could feel the killing intent in her enemy as it raised its arms to strike her from both sides. The left arm was coming first. She blocked the arm with her own and she followed up with Pulse. The impact of the blow created the shockwave she needed to blow the Grimm away. It was blasted away but she could see more armor growing from its body.

It landed on its feet and skidded across the ground, still standing and glaring at Azura then it found Remus running to her side.

"This thing is tough. I don't think any of our attacks hurt it," Remus summarized while keeping his guard up.

"Yeah. We need to hit it harder," Azura said and she grinned. "Cobalt Dynasty."

Remus smiled.

Their movements were sudden, fluid, and hard to anticipate. Using his speed and her semblance, Remus and Azura were out of the Roaming Grimm line of sight. A second later, Remus was on his left and Azura was on his right. Both a breath away and wielding both halves of Delta.

Both blades made contact with the Grimm, but only with the arms. The Roaming Grimm had sharp enough reflexes to raise two of its arms to block the blades. Its armor was able to withstand the blows, but the blades were still able to partially slice through it. An arm on each side was used to defend itself, but the Grimm had two on one side and only one on the other side Azura was on.

She pushed its arm aside and swiftly delivered a kick to the Grimm's face using Pulse to blow it away even further. The shockwave was felt by Remus and the sensation made his battle senses tremble. He moved in to strike, not giving the enemy a second to do anything. He reached the Grimm while it was still flying and slashed at it with the short sword. The speed of the swing gave it enough force to slice through the armor on its arms and send the Grimm flying into a pile of debris. The Roaming Grimm crashed through it and Remus was immediately at its side. He slammed his palm into its chest and sent it crashing into the ground. He jumped away from the Grimm and several orbs of fire fell upon their location, bombarding the Grimm and engulfing the area in flames. They waited.

In the flames, the Roaming Grimm roared and the fires dispersed with a swing of its arms. Its body was beginning to grow plating including its arms which appeared rougher than the first set. It didn't look injured. All they managed to do was anger the Grimm. Whether it was looking at Remus or Azura was unknown. The two Cobalts made sure to stand on its left and right, using their superior numbers to confuse and overwhelm it.

The first to move was Remus as he ran right for the Grimm and connected his knee with its face. It cracked but didn't give. Azura used Pulse at her feet to propel her forward and closed the distance. She raised her sword to run the blade through its neck, but the Roaming Grimm swatted at her, hitting her shoulder and knocking her aside. It did the same to Remus, but the young Cobalt kicked himself off the Grimm to avoid the hit, but it followed after him before he could land. A swipe of its clawed hand and it collided with the short sword as Remus was able to parry the attack from his compromised position but he was left open and struck in the chest by the arms on the other side. Both slammed into him, hitting his chest and stomach, and launched him away as well.

He felt like he was hit by three trucks at once. Its strength was tremendous as well as its speed and reaction time, but as he flew through the air, Remus learned something else about the Grimm, something dangerous.

Azura got to her feet and found the Grim approaching her and she brought her sword up to fight. A swing of its arm and she dodged it. Another came her way and she ducked to avoid it, but she found a third fist coming from below. It struck her as an uppercut, lifting her several feet off the ground.

Her bones rattled from the impact and she felt three more punches hit her body. Her aura was taking the hits, but she still felt the wind escape her lungs. Was it over? Is the Grimm still hitting me? Why haven't I felt my feet touch the ground? Those thoughts raced through her head as she flew above ground, sent soaring by the Grimm before crashing to the ground. She rolled and tumbled before stopping but she felt a hand grip her ankle. The Roaming Grimm lifted the Cobalt by her foot and was ready to pummel her to nothing.

Seeing it was the Grimm, she got flashes of Blood, dying for her, and she felt life return to her eyes. And fury. A massive discharge of lightning dust was released from her captive ankle. She rarely unleashed this much dust at once because it strained her muscles, but the adrenaline coursing through her made that risk moot. Lightning scorched the ground, surrounding objects, and the Roaming Grimm. The lightning electrocuted the Grimm as well as knocked it away. Her feet were imbued with the shocking element and Azura's eyes were filled with rage. Her powerful emotions were drawing the Grimm toward her. It was going into a frenzy and focusing solely on her.

Be it progression, her force of will or anger mixed with stubbornness, something new happened with Azura. As lightning dust was active on her ankles fire dust was igniting on her wrists. Whether she was aware of it or not, Azura was using two different types of dust at the same time, a feat she couldn't do until now. Fire covering her arms and lightning surging from the waist down, Azura looked frightening.

So enthralled by her raw emotions, the Roaming Grimm failed to notice the other combatant that stabbed into its back. A smaller blade pierced the armor on its back then a leg smashed into its face. It was knocked backward as Remus moved passed it in one quick movement. He reunited with his cousin but he saw her appearance and took it in. Even he felt some fear inch up his spine.

"Azura?" he asked, hoping she would respond calmly.

Her eyes fell on him and she looked less horrifying. The snarl and gritted teeth vanished. "Yeah?"

She was still there. "The armor growing from its body grows back stronger whenever we break it."

"Then we just need to keep hitting it until we reach the actual body. We'll pierce through eventually."

"Cobalt Dynasty again?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah, but let's kick it up a couple of notches." The flames on her right arm reached the sword and it was imbued with the element.

The Roaming Grimm was rising again with the armor on its face cracking even more. A shard of it fell off and its red and orange eye could be seen through it. All three combatants stood there until the Grimm moved first, lifting its arms then Remus and Azura moved in to strike.

With lighting on her feet, Azura was moving faster than before. She wasn't keeping up with Remus, but she was sure this boost would help better coordinate their attacks. Remus ran at the Grimm and had his sword aimed at the chest. A swing with that incredible speed had a large amount of force behind it. He swung his blade and he struck the armor on its chest and it cracked. Azura came from the other side and hit the same spot. The armor broke. They turned around to attack while it was vulnerable, but they found new armor already replacing it which was vexing, but it made them happy. This battle gave them a chance to go all-out.

Ebony continued to watch from above. Sitting on the edge of her airship with a smile. "Cobalts. They really are frightening."

The Roaming Grimm couldn't keep up with their speed at first, but it was starting to adapt. It was learning when to strike and defend. Remus approached from behind then took a quick step to the Grimm's left to hit its leg. Instead of its leg, the blade met the Grimm's arm, blocking the attack with the new, more durable armor. It withstood his attack but it was cracking as well. The Grimm kicked Remus away but the Cobalt didn't go far. He landed on his hands and flipped to his feet before coming back to continue the onslaught. The reason the kick wasn't strong enough was that the Grimm was struck by a burning blade. The back of its knees was wounded from Azura who struck before it could deliver a full force kick. Her attack did gain her enemy's attention and it turned around to kick her, but she lifted her lightning-infused leg and blocked the blow. She also used the impact to activate Pulse and create a shockwave between them. It blasted them away with the Grimm taking the brunt of the damage. As it flew, Remus came from behind struck its backside with his palm, breaking through the armor.

The Grimm tumbled and rolled into the ground before kicking itself back up with new armor forming on its body once more. It raised its head to find the Cobalts dashing to its location and it was getting a better understanding of their abilities. It was gradually adapting. Reaching around itself, the Grimm grabbed a handful of debris and threw it in the Cobalts' direction. Piles of wood, stone, and metal were flying across the battlefield. It was even strong enough to lift huge boulders with one arm and hurl them with ease.

Destruction was easy for Azura. She changed the dust in her wrist from fire to lightning and threw bolts of lightning at any debris coming her way. If she missed any on her path to her target, she cut them down with her sword. Remus had the smaller half of Delta. He couldn't slice through the debris with ease like her, so he ducked and dodged all of them.

Azura kept going with her lightning-enhanced speed until she felt a horrible sensation in her legs. They were dragging. She was slowing down. Why? Then, she felt her muscles tighten and seize up. Looking down, Azura could see the lightning dust couldn't stay active anymore and she pushed her dust tattoos to their limit. One more step and Azura fell forward, falling on her hands and knees.

" _No! Not now!"_

This falter left her vulnerable to the Roaming Grimm who ran to her and had its clawed hand ready to strike. It was the same attack it used on her when Blood protected and died for her. As the Grimm came her way, she also noticed Remus moving in to defend her.

"No… Not again…"

Remus was the fastest one here, but the Roaming was fast as well and the distance between it and Azura wasn't vast. Reemus wouldn't reach in time to protect her completely. The scene with Blood played in her head.

"AAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!" Azura wailed in anger and fear.

She slammed her fist on the ground and she activated Pulse, creating a massive shockwave that repelled everything around her. Remus and the Grimm were blown back from her semblance. The power behind this pulse was great as several bone platings began to break apart around the Grimm, leaving it bare. Its face was revealed and it was simply black except for the eyes and the mouth was hard to find. The Grimm landed on its feet, but Remus used Checkpoint to teleport from the air to Azura's side.

"Are you-"

"Don't worry about me!" she shouted ragefully. "I'm. Not. Done!" she rose to her feet even though they felt so heavy. "My aura will take the burden, so let's go."

" _I don't have aura much left,"_ she thought, keeping that part to herself.

Remus watched her then felt the monster approach. He turned to see it already grew new armor. This set had to be incredibly strong after all the beatings he and Azura gave it, but he noticed there was one place the armor was taking its time returning; the face.

Half of the Roaming Grimm's face was covered in new armor and it was slowly growing back. That was their mark. That's where they needed to deliver the-

Azura propelled herself forward with Pulse, charging for her foe. He had no choice but to follow after her. She created small torrents of flames from her palms and used them to boost her speed further since using dust in her legs did nothing but harm herself. With Remus passing her, they jettisoned to the Grimm that raised its arms to put up its guard.

A swing of his blade as he passed by and Remus struck the armor on the arm. There was hardly a nick or dent. Its defenses have gotten too strong. He pivots his foot to strike the head but his blade met the Grimm's hand instead. It had adapted to his speed. A strong grip on the short sword prevented Remus from using it, but he wasn't the only threat. Azura came in with a burning fist but a hand came to catch that as well. Cobalts on both sides again.

"Do it!" Remus shouted.

Azura used her semblance the moment her fist hit the Grimm's palm and a fiery shockwave was created. The unexpected attack Sent the Grimm flying along with Remus who didn't let go of his sword. As they spun through the air, Remus reached out and placed his hand on the Grimm and used Checkpoint. They both vanished. Azura, with her arms still cloaked in flames, turned around and reeled her fist back. Remus and the Grimm reappeared in front of her and threw her punch against the Grimm's face. She struck the armor which shattered as the Grimm was knocked by a couple of dozen feet.

As the Grimm flew a few feet above the ground, Remus used Checkpoint again, but used Round Robin between him and the monster, switching places instantly. It came back to Azura, unable to guard itself as it tumbled in the dirt, then she delivered a burning clothesline that struck its chest and made it skid into the ground before stopping.

She turned to keep striking, but the Grimm was up and up close. It unleashed a quick barrage of punches to her body and had a big one ready for her face, but Remus swooped in using his semblance and took the hit for her. He defended himself by using his arms as a shield but it wasn't enough to protect him from harm. The punch knocked him away and his aura took a big hit, but it gave Azura a chance to strike back and she did with a kick to its chin, making the Grimm reel back and create some distance between them. She wanted to make its head pop with Pulse, but her aura was gone after getting punched back to back.

Remus got up and saw Azura and the Grimm stagger a bit. Its head was its weak point and they needed to abuse that fact. He used Checkpoint to teleport behind the Grimm and sever its head, but he saw nothing but white and felt his head being gripped.

The Roaming Grimm, adapting to Remus's semblance, anticipated where he would go and it was correct. It had the young Cobalt in its clutches then quickly slammed Remus down into the ground and it created a Remus-sized crater. After several uses of Checkpoint and the beating he has taken, his aura shattered. It didn't stop there as it lifted Remus and had its arms bent and fingers straightened. Even in pain and blindness, Remus didn't stop fighting. He still held onto his short sword to fight back. The captive couldn't see what was going on, but Azura could.

It was going to impale him. Remus was going to die. Azura was going to lose another one. She was going to be the only one left. The last remaining Cobalt. It wouldn't have happened if he didn't come to her defense earlier. Once again, this was her fault-

"NO!" she thought.

Indescribable pain and death filled the next scene along with a scream.

The Roaming Grimm's claws were inches away from the Blue Flicker's throat and chest, but what was closer to him was a lance of ice. It was near the side of his head, but it was protruding from the Grimm's, running through it from Azura's hand. She held an icy spear while she was surrounded by fire

Adrenaline returned to her once more, ignited by her desire to protect the person who means the most to her. She didn't want to lose her cousin and be left alone. With no concern for her well-being, Azura activated the dust in her ankles. The swelling and cramping of her muscles was intense but not a priority to her at the moment. She jetted to the Grimm then formed a spear of ice with the dust in her arms and ran it through the Grimm's head before it could react to her or attack him.

Her legs were burning and killing her at the same time, but she didn't care. She did it. Blood was avenged and Remus was kept safe.

The Roaming Grimm stood there, unmoving. Eventually, it let go of Remus who no longer having any strength, then it stood there for a few more seconds until its body began to fade into dust. Azura walked past it as it disintegrated, completely ignoring the demon behind her to check on the person in front of her.

Remus laid in the sand and rubble with a withering look. That changed when he found Azura and he could smile a little. Her legs were beyond torn. The pain made it impossible for her to walk so she fell to her knees beside him.

"Are you okay? Can you move?" she asked.

"Probably more than you. Do you need me to carry you back to the airship?" Reemus asked and it made Azura chuckle. He wasn't joking. He asked her a serious question and it made her laugh. Her laughing must've been contagious because it made Remus laugh. The two Cobalts had a laughing fit at their situation.

The Charming Vantablack still watched from above but she was accompanied by Zinnia who stated, "It's over. Ready?"

"Naturally," Ebony responded.

Their giggles and chuckles finally died down and silence filled space. Azura looked up at the sky and watched its slow transition from blue to orange. The sun was setting. They've been gone for most of the day so the others obviously knew what they were doing. "We're going to get an earful when we get back,"

"Do you think Blood is happy now?" Remus asked, snapping her out of her daydreaming.

His question made her wonder. They risked life and limb to avenge their fallen friend, but Azura thought about the type of person Blood was. If he were here, he'd probably scold them for doing something so stupid even if it was on his behalf. His face would be etched in disappointment. She compared it to how he looked when he died. He smiled, happily and truthfully.

"Blood's always been happy. That's who he was," Azura answered with certainty. Remus's heart warmed at the thought. Blood was happy. At peace. It was a merry time for the two Cobalts but all things must come to an end.

"That was quite a spectacle," they heard a familiar voice call from a distance. Remus lifted himself by his elbows, but it was a little painful to turn his head. Azura could see who it was and her small smile turned to a thin line. Ebony walked to them with Zinnia ever at her side.

"So, you managed to avenge Ash. How do you feel?" Ebony asked.

Azure refused to answer. She could tell something was wrong. The air around them felt tense.

"As promised, I found the Grimm and allowed you to kill it. Our deal is complete," she stated with a loving smile. "So, our collaboration project is over, meaning we're back to our status quo."

Her instincts were right. This was a dangerous situation and Azura doubted there was anything they could do. Even so, she tried to rise to her feet, but it was no use. Her muscles were too strained. Attempting to rise only made her fall as she collapsed to the ground. Her body past its limit long ago.

Ebony and Zinnia walked to them with their weapons still sheathed. They doubted these two could put up any semblance of a fight. Remus tried to turn around but he felt a pair of hands press into his back. "It's okay, sweetie, I got you," Ebony whispered in his ear before taking hold of him. She hoisted him over her shoulders and carried him away. He tried to get wrest out of her hold but he had no strength left. All he did was make the Charming Vantablack think his attempt at escape futile and adorable.

"Dammit. Let him…" Azura couldn't move her body as it betrayed her desires. It remained still while she wanted to move and save her cousin. There was nothing she could do. Zinnia marched up to her and knelt by her side. The Paragon said nothing to her and did nothing to her. All she did was take the other half of Delta from her hand. The two girls left with Remus, leaving Azura by herself in an abandoned settlement. The Sky-Blue Warrior could nothing else but lay there and eventually close her eyes with fatigue forcing her to rest.

Black. Everything was black.

"Y… h…. ...d"

"Hmm…"

".n. … th..g.. ..is thr…"

There were voices around Azura. She could hardly make out who was speaking or what was being said, but they were rousing her from sleep.

"Mmm… Ah…" Azura managed to open her eyes. She tasted sand in her mouth, felt it decorating her face and hair. Feeling grains of sand in her mouth, the first thing she did when she awoke was wretch in disgust then started spitting as much of it off her tongue as possible.

"That's nice. Spitting on the guy who helped carry you in here. Smooth Azura," a familiar voice said to her.

Recognizing someone was with her, Azura opened her eyes to find Ghost sitting across from her. There was some of her spit and sand on his clothing. She didn't feel bad because she was mostly confused. "Where am…"

"You're in a whole lot of trouble, that's where you are!" an authoritative voice barked at her and she flinched. Azura turned to find Clair looking down at her sternly.

"Also you're in her airship," Ghost answered casually as he wiped spit off his shirt and jacket.

"Oh…" Azura responded then she remembered everything that happened until now "Oh," she said with realization.

"You are lucky my hovercar has a built-in tracker and Violet was able to track Remus. If you something that stupid again, I'll bound you to your bed for a month," Clair threatened it sounded like she meant it. Azura's eyes flicked over to Ghost who shook his head. Clair's words were not to be taken likely.

"Uh, I'm… I'm sorry." her head hung low when she apologized. Despite her victory, she was not proud of her actions. Her vendetta came with a lot of sacrifices.

 _Sacrifice…_

She rose from her seat and turned to Clair with shock and worry. "Ebony! Ebony has Remus! What are we-"

"It's being taken care of," another voice said. She turned around to find Bianca in the airship's kitchen. Taking in her surroundings, Azura realized she was in the airship's common area and she was laying on the couch.

Clair scoffed when Bianca answered, crossing her arms in obvious disdain. The white-haired Enforcer walked over to the others with a glass of water in her hands. She gave it to Azura to help clear her throat then said, "The other members of VRSZ are going after their teammate."

"Will they be okay?" Azura asked after gulping down more than half the glass.

"Who knows," Ghost answered. "I can't tell with them sometimes. I can't believe they planned this far ahead."

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, you were played, Azura," Ghost told her. "Everything you did was planned by Violet and Remus. She knew you would contact Ebony to get revenge and get Remus involved. Not only that, but she anticipated Ebony taking you guys captive at some point and used you as a bargaining chip."

"Are you serious?" the Sky-Blue Warrior couldn't believe they thought of everything. This whole time, her cousin was playing dumb.

"Violet told us her plan then went after Remus with Silver and Zelts. Your little cousin has his own built-in tracker and only Violet can track him. They're going to follow Ebony then strike her team when they least expect it," Ghost concluded.

"She could've told me about her little plan," Clair said in annoyance.

"I guess she wanted it to be authentic," Bianca offered as a reason.

"I can't believe it," Azura said to herself but the others heard. This type of deception and planning was something she usually witnessed in Clair's planning and Ebony's schemes. She figured after being used by the Charming Vantablack so many times made Violet want to come out on top for once. "I hope they beat her."

"Me too," Clair commented, but she still looked upset.

 **Setting: Desert**

Racing through the desert at night was Fantasia with the other members of VRSZ inside. Zelts sat there with intense focus and Silver was fine-tuning Fenrir. Violet drove the vehicle while looking at her scroll. She could see the delta signal moving across the map. Wherever Remus was, Ebony was there too and she couldn't wait to see both of them.

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Remus sat in the common area, tied to a chair. His legs and arms were bound tight and he was blindfolded. Ebony looked at Brenton's work and felt assured Remus wasn't going anywhere. All she had to do now was use him as the perfect bait for the rest of VRSZ.

Satisfied, she left the common area to sleep in her room. On the back of Remus's neck, his back tattoo could be seen. All he had to do now was wait for the others to come and get the drop on the Champions. He felt confident VRSZ's next encounter will be in their favor.

* * *

 **If I never explained this, then I'll make it clear now. When pronouncing Remus's name, the 'Re' is pronounced like 'Ray.' His name sounds like'Ray-mus.'**

 **Cobalt Dynasty is Remus and Azura's team attack. It is simply the two of them overwhelming enemies with the former's superior speed and the other's superior strength. It's very similar to Thick as Thieves and VRSZ Fantasia in regards to it having no real strategy and using more improvised attacks.**

 **Avenging Blood gave Remus and Azura new theme songs. Azura actually adopts a sing from Remus's playlist. XY&Z (English Cover) by JorporXx. The intensity of the song and the lyrics of rising to the challenge by working together define Azura's newfound worldview after this event and Blood's death. She wants to make sure she is strong enough not to lose anyone and fight with them. It also describes Azura and Remus's rivalry.**

 **His World (Cover) by NatewantsToBattle is Remus's new song. The previous song, Rise, dealt with his desire to be the Delta. Now that he reached it, he needed a song that expressed his maturity while keeping his character as a speed-based fighter. Honestly, no other song helps define that better than this song. Also, since he was the finalized product of Project New World and he came into his own person with the progression of the series, I think the transition from New World to His World is perfect for his theme.**


	59. Tailgating

**Setting: Desert**

"I know I said this before, but this was a stupid, risky plan," Silver said from the back of Fantasia.

"And I've said this before too, but it was necessary," Violet responded with a noticeable, irksome edge. Even though she was driving and her back was to the gunman, it was clear to him she was tired of having this conversation.

They've been driving for one night and a day. Violet was behind the wheel the entire time and hardly took a break, despite Zelts's insistence he could take over, but she stubbornly held onto the mantle of the driver. Was she doing this as a form of punishment for withholding her scheme from all of them?

Her scroll was on the dashboard with a map of their current location. On the map was the delta symbol giving Remus's exact location. He was still far away, but he finally stopped moving two hours passed morning.

This location was not Corona. It was too far away to be in its territory. "Where are they going?" Violet wondered.

 **Setting: Crag**

Crag was one of the few settlements in Vacuo that have stood the test of time. It was very old and it showed in its structure. It was stationed in a rocky valley so all every building was carved out of stone. The walls served as borders and barriers that kept some of the Grimm at bay. The people of Crag were just like their home: hardened, old-fashioned, and sturdy. Having lived in Vacuo for so long has made them all used to the harsh land and it has been embedded in their culture. There many weapon shops, smitheries, and other combat-oriented facilities. This was the place for anyone looking for combat equipment and master blacksmiths. At one smithery, a particular group stood in front of it.

"Do you think he'll be good as new?" Ebony asked her retinue.

The Charming Vantablack was accompanied by two people. The first was Brenton and the second was not Zinnia. It was Remus, legs bound by rope and hands cuffed by something special, a souvenir from Ebony's time in Atlas. Aura disrupting handcuffs that prevented him from using his semblance or using aura at all. He was still their prisoner.

A captured man was nothing new in Crag or anywhere in Vacuo. There were hundreds of bounty missions. To the citizens walking by, Remus was nothing more than a seized bounty. He watched them in silence as they conversed.

"Monochrome is a 'he' now? When did that start?" Brenton raised his eyebrow. He didn't know machines and robots had genders.

"After everything he did for us against the Hydra, he deserves a reward for all his hard work," Ebony answered merrily.

"Hmph. Does the Robot get a treat before me? Nice."

"Brenton, I got you an entire settlement and helped make you king. I think you're good for now," she told him with a teasing finger wave and the King of Flames grunted in humorous annoyance.

Their conversations were genuine. Remus could tell from this exchange and the ones he heard before. He was able to learn Ebony and her Champions care about each other.

"So, Rey-Rey," Ebony called him.

"Don't call me that," he responded with slight disdain. He didn't really like having a nickname when Remus seemed sufficient enough. Why be called anything else?

"Is it okay if I ask you some questions I've been wondering about for some time?"

He tilted his head in confusion.

"How does Zelts keep that beard and not feel the desert heat? His chin and jaw must sweat before anything else, right?"

That was not the question he was expecting. He couldn't even hide the befuddled look on his face. It felt so random. How did that give her an advantage?

"I… I don't know. He might… shave it eventually…" Even Remus wasn't sure if his statement was true.

"Hmm… Okay. Also, how do you know where Violet is when she's invisible? Do you guys have a special link?"

"No. My senses are pretty sharp so I could figure out where she was, but I can't do that anymore. She's gotten better with her semblance. I can't detect her anymore."

"...Nice…" He could tell she wanted more but settled for what he told her.

"Shouldn't you ask our prisoner more specific questions like weaknesses and such?" Brenton chimed in.

"Our lovely guest won't rat on his friends. None of them will, so it's more fun to ask about trivial matters. Right, Rey-Rey?" She leaned onto his shoulder in a playful manner he didn't like.

Remus turned away from her, "Don't call me that," he whispered lowly but she only grinned at his response.

A large burly man walked out of the smithery they were standing beside and he looked to the group. "Oi! Missy! I finished working on your robot. It's good as new."

Proving his statement true, Monochrome walked out of the building and turned to its owner. The scratches it received were mostly gone and the ones that remained were faded. They weren't noticeable unless intentionally looked for. Monochrome appeared repaired and it marched to Ebony with no change in its step or movements.

As it grew closer, Ebony could hear the Cobalt growling in hatred. She knew of his dislike for robots, droids, and the like ran deep, but he had to get over while he was with them. She approached the blacksmith. "Thank you for all your work," she said as she pulled out her wallet. She gave him the Lien they agreed upon for his work.

"No promise it was just like it used to be. Can't say I've ever seen a machine of this kind in years. I did the best I could, but maybe the creator could check it for you," the man offered as he accepted the money.

"As long as he can operate, I don't need to worry about anything else," Ebony responded quickly and with confidence. She really doubted Onyx would help her fix Monochrome if he knew what it was being used for.

" _He?"_ the man wondered, believing wise not to say this out loud. It wasn't his place to question how people viewed their machinery. With their business done, he turned to return to his shop. "Have a good day, ma'am."

Ebony waved back then turned to Monochrome and found the robot had its head turned to Remus. The two glared at each other, or at least Remus did. With a black face plating, it was hard to tell what Monochrome was looking at. She probably figured its memory was playing back to their last encounter and viewed the Cobalt as a possible threat.

"Stop it you two. If we're going to live together, there has to be peace," Ebony told them, waving her finger at them like she was instructing children.

Of course, Monochrome did not react to her since she didn't give me a specific command. Remus broke eye contact and glanced at her. He didn't like this at all. What was taking the others so long?

" _Where are you guys?"_

"How many more months until he turns eighteen?" Ebony whispered to Brenton.

He turned his gaze to her in silent disgust. As a fellow apple of her eye, Brenton felt sympathy for Remus. Her gaze was unnerving whether she was looking at him or someone else. "You are insatiable."

 **Setting: Ebony's Airship**

This was a rare moment for Alexandrite. She never expected to be able to do this while being held captive. She opened a door and stretched her arm out into the confines of the door then pulled out a wine bottle.

"That's not for you," Zinnia told her. "The agreement was non-alcoholic drinks."

She was sitting in the common area with a novel in her hand. Her eyes were on her book but she was still paying attention to her prisoner. Alexandrite was in the kitchen, pulling a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. She turned to the Paragon and scoffed, but put the wine back where she found it. On the island behind her was a plate with an assortment of food.

"It doesn't help your boss has several wine bottles in here," Alexandrite remarks as she just grabs two bottles of water.

"She doesn't have a case for them yet and they're for special occasions," Zinnia informed her without removing her eyes from her book. "Hurry up and pick something."

"Don't rush me." Alexandrite slammed the fridge door. Her action of disrespect made Zinnia twitch her eyebrow in annoyance.

"We have no idea when Ebony is coming back and we don't want Remus to see you. She prefers not to upset him while keeping the element of surprise," Zinnia informed her for the third time. She was tired of Alexandrite's ignorance.

"Whatever," Alexandrite responded like a typical teenager and earned an eye roll from the Paragon. The Bedazzled Behemoth hid a small smile. This was somewhat like her old relationship with Azura.

A chiming of the scroll and Zinnia peeked at it, seeing it came from Ebony. She knew what meant they were coming back. She needed to get the giant woman back into her room. The red-haired woman rose from her seat toward the silver-haired, rainbow-streaked woman who picked up her plate.

"It's time. Your recess is over. Get out of here before anyone shows up!" She got behind Alexandrite and shoved her out of the kitchen and out of the common area, moving her through the hallway back into her room.

"All right, all right! Quit shoving me. I'm going," Alexandrite said, stifling the laugh in her voice. She liked having someone to mess with.

"Zinnia!" Ebony called out as soon as she got into her airship, "We're back and Monochrome as good as new!" She had her arms wrapped around Monochrome's arm as they walked into the common area with Brenton and Remus. None of them saw her in the room. "Zinny?" Ebony called out.

"Zinny?" Brenton repeated. "That's a first."

"I just made it up. Don't worry, I'll make up something for you too… Bren-Bren-"

"Don't even," Brenton spat back, refusing to accept Ebony's nickname. She seduced him, entered his personal space, and touched him when he didn't want her to, he had to draw the line somewhere.

"Hello," Zinnia said as she casually walked into the common area and smiled at the group. Ebony eyed her and noticed her stiff shoulders and the faintest traces of sweat on her forehead. Something happened before they got here.

"Now that we're all assembled, it's time to give a flower a call." Ebony reached over to Remus and went into his pocket.

"He's still seventeen. Only go for the scroll," Brenton instructed her with authority. He had his arms crossed and a deadpan stare. He was serious.

"Agreed," Zinnia quickly chimed in. She crossed her arms and kept her eyes on Ebony's hands.

"I know, I know…" Ebony whined as she just grabbed Remus's scroll. She went through the contacts and found Violet's contact. "Get ready for take-off! We're heading home!"

An hour passed since their departure then showing up after them was VRSZ, tailing them by hovercar. The vehicle comparison was too vast. It was clear Ebony's airship would've covered a great distance in the course of an hour, but Violet already knew that.

Her objective wasn't to follow Ebony to the ends of Remnant and beyond, it was to keep an eye on her position so they can strike when she least expected it. Knowing Remus was too important a hostage to dispose of, Violet had the perfect tracer. Also, knowing Ebony's...perversions, she figured she'd keep him close to her person. She only hoped he wasn't tainted too much when they reunited and would apologize in some manner.

"Crag…" Zelts said as he read the small sign with the town's name on it, "Never heard of it."

"I like it," Silver commented as he took in the scenery, "Rustic."

"Doesn't seem like any place too special, but Ebony's crew has been here for some time. Let's ask around. Maybe we can learn why she was here," Clair instructed.

The group went around the small town, asking about Ebony's crew. They described what each Champion looked like and hoped anyone could give them any helpful information about what they were doing. All three separated to cover more ground, but it didn't help. They were able to find people who described the Champions correctly, but that was it. Their activity in Crag was surprisingly small. A red-haired woman, a lizard faunus, and a young woman many people have mistaken for a boy.

Most of what they heard were praises from onlookers. Men and women alike were talking about how stunning and eye-catching the black-haired girl was. Violet found it extremely infuriating. She didn't like hearing people saying nice things about someone she found incredibly annoying.

Not only did she hear about Ebony, she and Silver also heard people talk about someone with her. The talk of a captured bounty reached their ears and his description matched Remus. This piece of information was nothing new, but it was good to know the Charming Vantablack was keeping their teammate close to her sides.

Other than the mention of Zinnia and Brenton, There wasn't much Silver nor Violet learned about Ebony and her group. It was evident they were here, but their appearance seemed to be phantasmal. However, a stroke of luck came when Zelts made his way to the same smithery Ebony's crew was at an hour ago.

"Yeah, I know who you're talking about. She paid me to fix her big robot. Her group left right after that. Didn't say where they were going," the smith told Zelts.

Processing the information, he gathered Monochrome was active again, restoring the Champions' numbers, and making it more difficult for them to defeat Ebony. It didn't matter. Their purpose was the same. "Thank you for your help." He parted with the smith to inform the others.

News of Monochrome's return didn't bother them. Coming to blows meant fighting all of her forces.

"I'm sure Remus will love fighting that thing again… or maybe he'll just destroy it the first chance he gets," SIlver laughed as he and the others walked to Fantasia.

"I hope she isn't doing anything weird to him. She's…" Zelts hummed, trying to find the right word.

"Perverted," Violet and Silver said at the same time.

Zelts chuckled, "I was going to say eccentric. But we should speed this along. Any idea where they're headed next?"

Violet pulled out her scroll to check her tracker. The delta signal stopped at a location familiar to all of them. "Seems they returned to Corona. We can't take them down there, they have too many supporters."

"We wait until-" Her scroll began to ring. The caller was Remus, but she had a feeling he wasn't the one calling. She answered.

"I'm sure you know I have your Rey-Rey and you're searching for me. Am I wrong?" Ebony asked like a child flaunting her prize.

"Where is he?" Violet asked darkly. She was putting up a facade to get what she wanted. "Touch him and-"

"Too late on the 'no-touching' department, but you can come and see him if you want," Ebony informed her. Violet could feel the smile on the Vantablack's face.

"Tell me where you are," Violet demanded and it sounded like a growl. Silver and Zelts wondered if this was really an act.

"How about a rendezvous point. There's something I want to discuss with you and doubt you'd come willingly. Once we're done, you can have Rey-Rey back."

"Stop calling me that…" Violet heard Remus say on the other line. He was nearby like she thought.

"Shush, puppy. Mommy's talking," Ebony told him and returned her attention to Violet, "Do we have an accord?"

"...Yes," Violet said while gritting her teeth. "Where do you want to meet?"

"Perfect," she thought deep down.

"There's a place up north that's far from Nexus and my location. I heard about it not too long ago, but I haven't been there yet. A neutral area for both sides. What do you say?"

"...Fine. We'll see you there and you better bring Remus with you," Violet told her adversary with an authoritative tone to show she wasn't messing around.

"Of course. Remus and I are practically joined to the hip. He might not even want to go home with you."

"Yes, I do!" Remus shouted.

"What did I tell you about talking while I'm on the scroll? Anyway, I'll send you the coordinates and the time when we'll meet. Don't be late or I'll use Remus to _relieve_ my boredom. Okay?"

"..." Violet did not like how Ebony phrased that last sentence. Even if this was a ploy, hearing how she would use Remus for…

"...Right," Violet accepted, but saying it without losing her temper was incredibly difficult. Even if it was a joke, talking about Remus like that was taboo in her mind.

"Good! I'll send the coordinates and the time. Be there tomorrow." Ebony ended the call with that. Violet lowered her scroll and clutched it tightly. Her fists were shaking with rage. Silver and Zelts could feel the killing intent coming off their leader. Neither of them wanted to talk to her, fearing her wrath would be directed at them, but one of them had to say something. A quick game of rock-paper-scissors. Best two out of three. First round: Silver. Second round: Zelts. Third round: Silver.

Pumping his fist into the air in victory, the gunman watched his slightly frightened friend approach Violet whose chest and shoulders were rising and falling with every breath. "Um….how did it go?" he asked recessively, waiting for a response.

She turned to him with a cold, steely gaze that sent a chill down the man's spine. How can someone shorter and smaller than him, make him tremble like this?

"I'm going to obliterate her," she said, facing Zelts but he could tell she wasn't talking to him. She was making a declaration. "We're leaving. We have a new destination. Get in Fantasia," she ordered and marched to the car, not waiting for them. Zelts and Silver trailed behind at a safe distance.

Violet was prepared to take Ebony down.

 **Setting: Corona**

Still in her airship, Ebony put Remus's scroll back into his pocket. She had him tied to a chair again so she had to lean down to return it and she made sure her face was close to his as she did it. He found no point in struggling and just waited for her to be done.

"Our little flower will be here for you tomorrow," she told him after backing away. Remus said nothing and looked away. She put her hand under his chin and lifted his head so their eyes met.

She found a defiant face and thought it was adorable. Thinking about it, Zinnia's expressions were always refreshing and worth watching while Remus couldn't do anything she didn't find cute. Without thinking and on sheer impulse, Ebony pecked Remus on the forehead. His eyes widened from shock.

"Sorry. Wasn't thinking," Ebony apologized, not really regretting what she did, but it wasn't the same for Remus.

Now that he was with Violet, that kiss felt wrong, like his forehead was burning intensely. He sat there frozen and his face stayed astonished. Ebony noticed and put her hand on her chin. _"I might've broken him,"_

Even though he couldn't move, Remus wanted nothing more than to recoil, to back away as far as he could from her. Ebony's intent was nothing compared to the others. This was different when Clair kisses him. She kissed everyone she was fond of and she did it as a sign that she cared for that person. He knew that well so there was no harm in letting her do it, but Ebony's intent... Even if she did by accident, that kiss informed Remus of all she wanted to do to him and it scared him on an instinctual level. Ebony couldn't hide her true motives behind her charisma or facade from him any longer.

Remus found Ebony a little frightening.

"Again, didn't mean to do that, but it wasn't that bad, right?" He did not respond. "...Anyway, get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day for us." She walked away, leaving Remus dumbstruck in the common area.

" _Tomorrow… VRSZ will be defeated by my hands. It won't be easy, but I have two aces up my sleeve. Be ready, Remus, Silvester, Zelts…. and you too, Violet,"_ Ebony couldn't stop the grin creeping on her face.

 **Setting: Unknown**

In the far north of Vacuo, a ravaged area could be found. Anyone who saw this place would see no signs of life. No humans, no faunus, no wildlife. It wasn't because the area too far from the kingdom or uncharted territory no one claimed for themselves. The reason no one lived around this area was that it was too harsh for anything to live there. No water for any living thing to sustain itself. There was no arable land for crops to grow as if the ground itself was salted to prevent plant life from ever taking root. Most of the vast land was decorated in stone and earth and every inch of it was scarred and damaged like it was the landscape of a never-ending battle. This place was harsh even by Vacuo standards. It embodied 'the survival' belief of the people.

However, with all these qualities, none of them were the biggest reason no one lived there. The real reason was the same as anywhere else: Grimm. But, the Grimm in this place was especially dangerous. They were few in number, but the ones who have made their home in this place have lived for several years and possibly decades. There were rumors that an exceptional few Grimm in that area have been alive for much longer. Centuries.

Ebony heard of these rumors as well and they intrigued her greatly.


	60. One Step Forward, Three Steps Back

**Setting: Ebony's Airship**

Another day has passed and Remus felt incredibly stiff. Being tied up for days was not enjoyable in the slightest as well as the inability to move around. He missed the simple things like being able to stand and walk anytime he wished, to run wild and feel the wind kiss his face, to scratch the annoying itch on his thigh that has been bugging him for over an hour. He wondered if this was the cruel and unusual torture Silver and Violet talked about.

His mind started drifting to other things to keep himself from growing bored. It was the middle of the day, but nothing happened. All he knew was Eboy was taking him and her team someplace to converse with his team. With his and Violet's plan in place, he believed this was the moment he was waiting for, but getting there took longer than he expected. This place had to be near Vacou's northern borders or something.

There was one thing about today Remus found different about the other days; Ebony was nowhere near him. The Charming Vantablack made it no secret she liked being in his personal space and making advances, but she hadn't followed with her usual activities. The only time the two interacted today was when she walked through the common area. He watched and she glanced at him, smiling and waving when their eyes met. Nothing else happened and it made Remus worry. What did she have planned for him?

It was on his mind for a while until he watched someone else approach him. He knew who this was and he was not sure why she came to him. Zinnia walked up to him and took a seat on the couch, positioning herself so she was facing Remus. She was quiet but an inquisitive look occupied her face as if she was thinking of the right thing to say.

Seeing as she wasn't going to say anything yet, Remus asked, "Um… Do you know what Ebony's going to do?"

Her gaze was still on him but she acknowledged his question and said, "I won't tell you." She made sure to use 'won't' instead of 'can't.'

"If Ebony is plotting something, my team won't stand for it. They'll strike back and I'll help."

Zinnia just looked at him. If she was being honest, she didn't care much for VRSZ except her cousin. She understood Violet and her motives, but the rest she saw as subordinates. The other three had to be something if all four of them went to such extremes in Atlas. Having one of them as her prisoner was a good opportunity for some insight.

"Who is Violet to you? All of you go to such lengths for one another because of your bonds, but what words would you use to describe them? I want to hear your answer," Zinnia asked.

He didn't pause or falter from her question and answered, "Violet is one if not the most precious person to me. I love her… a lot. And that feeling is shared between all of us. We've each other's best and worst times. We've been through and done so much together that it's impossible for any of us not to feel connected." He looked at her with sympathy. "We're like family… you get that part, right?"

She took her eyes off of him and looked up, contemplating what he said. She did understand what he meant. She felt that way for her family she's known all her life and for Ebony who has been the closest friend she has ever had. Her family was far from perfect, but they were hers and she lived with them through thick and thin, then Violet's group decimated them. Ebony made her wish come true and Zinnia has seen many sides of the Vantablack she didn't expect. Ebony's highs and lows. She has seen them, understood them, and experienced them with her. She wondered what Ebony saw from her. Whatever it was, it didn't deter the Charming Vantablack from leaving. Zinnia felt it too.

They had a strong bond.

Her gaze back at Remus, the Paragon was glad they had this little interaction. She fully understood VRSZ. It was just like her relationship with Ebony. Now, with Ebony's goal in mind, she wondered what today's confrontation will bring. Does Ebony intend to kill VRSZ or just defeat them so her name was known? Either way, despite who won, she knew both sides were never going to be the same again.

Zinnia rose from her seat and had her eyes on Remus who watched her movements with a questioning expression. She got some clarity from him about many things, but still needed answers about others. "Thank you," she said then left.

In the cockpit, Ebony piloted her airship to their destination. She looked out at the desert landscape as it began to transition to a harsher one filled with stone. They were close. The moment she has been waiting for was close at hand. All her planning was unfolding as she wanted but she couldn't stop the rapid beating of her heart.

" _The closer your goal, the more frightened you are you'll lose it, huh?"_ she smiled at her own thought. It was true. She had no idea if everything would end in her favor. No plan, no matter how executed, was perfect. She learned that the hard way in the kingdom.

Eliminating the most dangerous Grimm to gain recognition as well as give away their location for VRSZ to find them and then she could defeat them, the biggest name in Vacuo. Her plan was going smoothly despite several setbacks, but will it succeed? Team VRSZ was quite unpredictable in their strategies and Ebony found Violet was exceptionally cunning. If she wasn't careful, this could be the fallout of everything she has done.

"Ebony?" Zinnia called out and her sudden appearance took the Vantablack girl by surprise. She was too lost in thought to notice her friend enter the room.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I know you told me this before, but I want some clarity. Are we going to kill the members of VRSZ or just defeat them?" Zinnia's face showed concern. It was something she was asking herself ever since she learned of the plan but refused to bring it up, but felt she and Ebony were friends, she felt she could for a straight answer.

Ebony didn't say anything for a few seconds. She sat in the pilot's seat then pressed the button for autopilot. She stood and walked over to her friend with an unreadable face. Zinnia didn't know what she was going to say.

"All I want is to indisputably crush Team VRSZ. That's all. I'm not aiming for their deaths, but if it happens, then it happens and I'll consider it unavoidable," Ebony stated seriously.

"Ok," was all Zinnia said, feeling a weight has been lifted on her chest. She just wanted an answer.

"Does that sit well with you? I hope you remember our talk," Ebony said with a small smile, "If there was ever a time you think I'm taking things too far or if I stray from my original goal-"

"I know. Don't worry. I'll always be by your side." Zinnia smiled and Ebony smiled back.

She was right. They did have a strong bond and understood each other very well.

 **Setting: Marble Valley**

A Deathstalker wailed in pain before its legs gave way. It fell to the ground and turned to black smoke. Standing on a rocky ledge overseeing the monster's death were the members of VRSZ. Silver put his guns away and Violet did the same with her knives. The battle was quick, but something about it was different and all of them could tell. The Grimm in this place were stronger than the regular batch. Territory with Grimm this strong was obviously bad news.

Zelts felt it in the air. This place was dangerous and they needed to be careful. "Why would Ebony choose this place? To fight us. It's obvious and it was the reason we're here to get the jump on her. We might be able to end it today..."

He put those thoughts aside to focus on what needed to be done. He turned to Violet and asked, "Are we close to the rendezvous point?"

"Yes. Just up the hills over there," she pointed to further north where it was stone in its entire layout. "It's where she wants to meet us, but we won't. We're getting the drop on her as soon as she and her group show up."

"Until then, let's find a good camping spot. Remus and Ebon won't be here for another hour," Silver said as he started walking. "Let's get moving."

Time passed and Ebony's airship descended on the location. She finally reached her destination, looking at the harsh badlands from the cockpit.

When she asked about dangerous Grimm, this place was mentioned multiple times. An area so dangerous that no one comes here willingly. It was known by many names, but its official title was Marble Valley, a name given for the dark stones that made up the area as well as the large population of Grimm. However, there was the rumor of fewer Grimm teeming there in recent years. It didn't persuade anyone to go there, but it made Ebony curious. She believed someone or something could've been wiping them out. Marble Valley was the final stop of her Grimm elimination.

With her goal in sight, Ebony placed the airship on autopilot to land and she left to get ready. Trois Reines on her waist and her Champions at her side. She felt ready for the inevitable confrontation. Ebony crossed into the common area where Remus was sitting. Amber eyes filled with determination stared at her. She guessed he either planned to escape or had confidence his team would rescue him. She knew he was wrong.

Out of nowhere, Ebony felt the floor rumble. It was small but still unexpected. Why would this happen on an airship that was in the air? The trembling got stronger as she wondered what happened and her whole ship was shaking. Things were falling and Ebony shifted her weight so she wouldn't fall over. The same couldn't be said for the pictures on the wall, the bottles and food in her fridge, and some of her furniture. Remus was knocked to the side and he laid there as the violent shaking continued.

"What the hell is going on?" Ebony wondered as she fell to one knee to better balance herself.

Rushing through the hallway leading to the common area was the mechanical monstrosity Monochrome. It burst into the room and lowered itself until it was over Ebony, keeping her safe from anything that could fall onto her. Following behind the droid was Brenton and Zinnia. Before Ebony could ask what was going on or what to do next, Brenton spoke first.

"What's going on with this place?! The winds outside are going to blow us out of the sky!"

Learning the source of the trembling sparked an idea in Ebony's mind. She didn't say anything, but her face and eyes showed she was mentally connecting the dots. The Charming Vantablack was many things and one of them was incredibly smart. "Zelts," she murmured in realization. Her words reached everyone's ears.

Remus was shocked. He didn't pick up Zelts created the wind as quickly as she did, but he was amazed she figured it out in seconds. It reminded him that Ebony was a genius. Impressive as it was, he decided to think too much about it. He learned his team was here and making the first move. This was the moment. The plan began and he needed to get out of his restraints.

"Monochrome, eliminate any threats outside!" Ebony commanded and her droid rose from its hunkered position and flew out of the common area and busted through the doors leading outside.

The winds were strong, blowing everything around it away, including Monochrome. The unexpected power of the gales sent the machine upward and flipping uncontrollably. Monochrome was able to balance itself and increase the power of its thrusters so it could fly and withstand the violent vortex. The green windstorm consumed everything around the airship and Monochrome could barely see anything beyond the windy barrier and nothing could be heard within it. The droid didn't hear the gunfire.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Monochrome was struck five times. Each foot was hit twice and the fifth shot hit it in the back of the head. The blows pushed it forward and made it turn around. Monochrome turned to see who shot it, but it didn't see the perpetrator. It was too busy falling at an alarming rate until it collided with the ground below. Monochrome was stuck in a small crater and its body glowed with a silver light. It couldn't move an inch.

"And that thing's out of the way for a while." Standing on the airship was the Silver-Tongued Gunslinger himself. " _Gravity Bullet_ _and ice dust covering the thrusters. It should buy us some time,"_ he thought as he checked his surroundings. The twister Zelts created was guiding the airship to a large stone pillar. It was going to crash soon. Using Gravity, he ran to the edge of the vehicle and jumped off, gliding away from the airship and through the rough winds. It was a bumpy ride, but he made it.

He landed onto a large boulder where Zelts was holding Heart of Gold as wingblades and watching his spiky-haired friend land beside him. Silver did so with a flip and landed on his feet. "Way to stick the landing," Zelts commented.

"Thanks," Silver responded with a smirk. He looked up to watch the airship and its eventual crash. "Think they'll make it?"

"Of course they will," Zelts answered with certainty.

Inside the airship, Ebony and her group were trying to brace themselves and wait for Monochrome to return, but Zinnia noticed from the common area's window that they were heading straight for a pillar. "We have to get out of here!" she shouted.

Brenton took the initiative and grabbed Ebony by her shoulder, taking hold of her so he could carry her out of there. Zinnia followed suit, but she looked back to secure Remus. He wasn't there anymore. Remus and the chair he was sitting on was gone.

" _How did he get out?"_ Zinnia wondered but looking at the large window showed how much closer they were to crash. There wasn't any time to figure out how he escaped. She needed to get everyone out of here. She ran after Brenton and Ebony.

Whenever Monochrome busted a hole through the airship, Ebony hated it because it meant spending money on repairs. She programmed it to use doors, but urgency or threats always overrode that feature. Damaging her vehicle was one pet peeve she had about her machine, but she didn't think it mattered right now. While Brenton was still carrying her, even though she could walk fine on her own, she aimed her scabbard rifle at a wall and fired two shots from it. The two powerful shots busted through the wall and left a large hole leading to the outside.

"Go!" she instructed Brenton and he did with haste. He leaped out of the airship and began falling from a great height.

The two of them were expecting to be blown away but noticed the windstorm finally ceased. They could see their surroundings, see it was too late to stop the airship from crashing, and see Silver and Zelts standing on a nearby rock, watching them. Ebony saw no sign of Violet and it concerned her.

Neither of them made any plan to break their fall or stop themselves from falling because they knew they didn't have to. Leaping out of the airship hole and diving toward them was Zinnia. She pulled out her whip-sword and swung it at a pillar. The extended blade pierced the stone and as she continued her way to the others. Brenton reached his hand out and so did Zinnia. The two Champions grabbed each other as soon as Zinnia reached them. She swung their bodies to the side with the whip-sword like a pendulum and they landed on the ground safely.

Brenton finally put Ebony down. Secretly, she enjoyed her friend carrying her like a princess but now wasn't the right time. The airship was close to smashing into the pillar and Ebony asked, "Did either of you know what happened to Remus?"

"Didn't look back," Brenton answered.

"He was gone. I don't know how he did it, but he wasn't there anymore," Zinnia admitted.

His freedom made her then she thought about her other passenger. "What about Alexandrite?"

This question took both Champions aback. They had completely forgotten about their other prisoner.

"Um…" Brenton didn't know what to say.

He witnessed Zelts jump down from his vantage point. Deep down, the lizard faunus was relieved the battle would take his mind off Alexandrite's demise. Silver remained on the rock and was combining Fenrir into its sniper form. Zelts at close-range and Silver at long-range. This couldn't have been the whole plan. After all, the mastermind wasn't around. Brenton knew there was more to this and he knew the others thought the same.

The sound of the airship crashing into the pillars was heard by everyone like thunder filling the sky. It was the only thing that could be heard and Ebony's eyes widened in realization. She changed Trois Reines from sword to spear and twirled it above her and the Champions' heads. She deflected multiple knives that rained from above and watched them litter the ground around her. A large dust cloud picked up a few feet in front of Zelts and Ebony could see who it was.

"I guess negotiations broke down before they started, huh?" she said with a smirk. In a swirl of tulip petals, Violet and Remus appeared in front of Zelts. He was no longer tied up or had the aura cuffs on. He was free. "Crashing our ship was just one big distraction to get Remus. Not only did you free him, but you also had the time to grab his sword. You never cease to amaze me, Vi."

Violet remained silent. She didn't respond to a thing Ebony said to her. While she was ignoring Ebony, her eyes were filled with serious determination. She reached for more Enigmas in her bag.

The silence got to Ebony but she kept her grin. "Not even going to talk to me… That's fine. I mean we all know why we're here, so let's get right to it." She and the other Champions got into their fighting stance.

The first to make a move was Violet. She threw four knives at the Champions and Zelts followed up by swinging one of his wingblades to create a small wave of wind that caught up to the flying knives. The wind helped propel the knives further and increase their travel speed. Brenton moved to counter but Silver shot at his feet, pausing his momentum and making the others conscious of the sniper.

Zinnia activated her semblance and cloaked her weapon in her aura. She shot it out and the whip extended out to hit Silver. While she did this, Ebony shot at the knives coming their way. She made four shots to counter the four knives. She was able to stop three with the gunshots hitting and breaking the knives apart, but the fourth knife avoided her shot and was coming straight for her. Undeterred, Ebony swatted it away with her spear. The Enigma went flying to her side, but it didn't go far. In a cloud of blue smoke, Remus teleported by her side and grabbed the knife in his left hand.

The Blue Flicker threw the knife at Brenton and twisted his body around to strike Ebony with Delta in his right hand. The knife collided with Brenton's Oathburner and it exploded in flames when it made contact. The King of Flames wasn't expecting that maneuver, but he kept his ground and was only pushed back three feet. Ebony brought up her spear with one hand and crossed blades with her opponent. Her other hand had her scabbed rifle and it was under Remus and aimed at his torso. She was about to fire until he teleported away, covering her entire area in blue smoke.

The whip-sword continued its way to Silver with its incredible reach. Zinnia wasn't distracted by the battle around her as she guided her blade to its target, but something did get in her way. Zelts created a small tornado beneath his feet to send himself flying upward, directly in the path between Silver and the blade. He quickly combined his wingblades to make his shield and took the attack head-on. The force of the blade imbued with Armaments pushed Zelts away but he was successful in protecting his teammate. Silver took this opportunity to fire a shot at Zinnia, but she spun the hilt of her weapon, moving the extended blade with and changing it from a straight path to a swirling vortex of steel. His shot hit part of the segmented blade and Zinnia quickly retracted it. The gunman clicked his teeth over his failed attempt.

Neither side showed having an advantage over the other yet and that worried Silver. It was only a matter of time before Monochrome recovered. They needed to take at least one of them down before then. Too caught up in his thoughts, he was too late to notice the shadow he cast was a little too big.

A thundering sound was heard from above. It wasn't the airship that had already crashed and fell to the ground. The noise came from the boulder Silver was perched on. Everyone glanced up to see it was covered in ice and Silver was ungracefully falling to the ground. On closer inspection, they realized it wasn't ice. They were crystals.

Silver landed on the ground near Zelts who asked his friend what happened. Before he could get an answer, a figure jumped from the boulder and the crystals broke apart. The person landed on the ground in the blue smoke as it was dispersing. Standing before Ebony was an unexpected guest, Alexandrite.

This unknown element left Violet speechless. She had no idea Alexandrite was here or among Ebony's ranks. This threw her plan out the window. It-s four-on-four and will eventually be four-on-five once Gravity Bullet stops working on Monochrome.

"You're okay…" was the first thing Ebony said to the Bedazzled Behemoth.

Alexandrite looked at the shorter woman then turned to VRSZ. "I take it you guys are fighting them now… and they woke me from my nap?"

How could someone sleep through an airship crashing? Ebony put the question away and replied with a confirming nod.

"Good. I need to stretch out a bit and this will keep me entertained." She grabbed her massive polearm and red crystals were forming on her limbs. Ebony sighed, grateful she was on their side.

Despite the arrival of the dazzling gem that was Alexandrite, the battle was looking bleak for Team VRSZ.

In the distance, in a small crater, a mechanical hand rose.


	61. VRSZ The Champions: Fated Battle Part 1

**Setting: Marble Valley**

Getting caught off guard was more embarrassing than anything. Silver couldn't believe he didn't notice Alexandrite sneaking up behind him. Then again, he wasn't expecting to see her at all. With news of Brenton regaining control of Corona, he figured she was killed. He never expected this, yet here she was, standing with Ebony and her group.

"Oh, come on," he complained under his breath. He changed Fenrir back to twin guns to ready for a more up-close fight. Regaining his composure, he observed the other side of the battlefield. It was real and it was happening. They were going to end Ebony once and for all.

No time was wasted. No formalities or words shared. Both sides knew this battle was the one to end it all. The first to move was Remus and the rest of VRSZ followed. He teleported in front of Alexandrite and she responded by driving her halberd through his spine, but he evaded with ease, stepping to the right and dashing around the other Champions. He had his sword out and landed several strikes on each of them, but his attack wasn't effective. Ebony, Brenton, and Zinnia were able to somewhat parry his blows with their weapons. He did very little to their aura but he was able to blow through their ranks as he stood to their backs.

Zinnia turned and extended her blade to strike. It flashed out quickly and made its way to Remus and he used Checkpoint to avoid it. He teleported away and formed a thick blue fog that surrounded all the Champions. Remus returned to the others, teleporting in when they ran to the enemy. He stayed back, feeling the sensation of a blade on his back. Zinnia's sword grazed him before he jumped. He realized she was incredibly fast. It made him pause a little but he joined his allies in their assault.

The next to strike was Violet and Silver. The latter stopped running and aimed his guns while the former continued pressing on. Zelts stayed behind everyone to gauge the enemy. Violet could see the four silhouettes in the fog and threw an Enigma at each of them. One ice knife for each of them and they all hit their mark. She could hear the ice growing over their bodies. Silver had a view of their shadows as well and fired four shots. All the silhouettes were hit, but they broke apart completely. Violet stopped her advance and looked around. Piercing through the fog was a spearhead that was coming toward Violet who narrowly blocked it using a throwing knife to parry. The sudden hit pushed her back a few steps but she could see Ebony step out of the smoke with Trois Reines in spear form and lunged forward to follow through with her strike.

Their eyes met and Violet could see a grin on the Charming Vantablack's face. Beside them, a large torrent of flames blasted through the fog and dispersed it with ease. Silver was in its path and he jumped out of the way, leaping high in the air with Gravity and scanning the fight from above. When the smoke cleared, he could see the figures he and Violet attacked were just human-sized crystal pillars. Effective decoys. They grabbed his attention, but now he could see where every Champion was. He fired on Alexandrite who stood a few feet behind Brenton.

Zinnia charged in beside Ebony and thrust her blade at Violet while she was too occupied blocking Ebony's spear. She aimed for Violet's chest. The Scarred Flower didn't feel a blade on her chest, but a hand on her backside. At one moment, she was being pressured by Ebony and Zinnia, then the next she was further away from them with Remus kneeling behind her and Zelts in front of them.

Alexandrite blocked every shot with her arm covered in green crystal, but she felt it get heavier. Her arm fell and hung low and she was forced to kneel. The increased Gravity from Gravity Bullet made it impossible for Alexandrite to lift or move her arm. Showing more intelligence than she ever did before, Alexandrite simply cast her armor off her arm and was able to move it. The armor was affected by the gravity, not her arm. Scoffing in irritation, Silver used Gravity to stay airborne.

Everyone finished attacking and moved out of the way. Zelts spun twice and swung his wingblades, creating a windstorm that transformed into a green tornado. It made its way to Ebony's group. Zinnia and Ebony backed away while Brenton ran in front of them. With Oathburner, he slashed the ground then unleashed a massive wall of fire. He performed a second strike with his greatsword wreathed in flames against the wall and sent the tower fire at the tornado. The colliding elements clashed with the wind picking up the fire and overwhelming it. Flames spilled around the area heating the ground and air then the flaming storm vanished. Ebony and Zinnia continued to back away when the fire disappeared and so did Brenton expecting a follow-up attack. Alexandrite stayed in place unflinching in the face of such tremendous might.

The last sputtering of flames died out and walking through them was Remus with Delta in hand. He ran for all three of them again, but Zinnia didn't plan on falling for the same trick twice. She wasn't as fast as him, but her anticipation of his movements helped her clash with her sword against his. They were in a stalemate and her ability to halt Remus gave the others the chance to counterattack. Ebony and Brenton moved past the two combatants to face the others.

Remus held his sword in his right hand then separated it with the other, putting the short sword half in his free hand. He swung to attack the Paragon at close-range, but she already had the barrel of her wrist weapon on her other arm aimed at him. She fired and Remus barely moved out of the way by backing away, but Zinnia fired a second shot that struck his front with a bolt of lightning dust. He landed on his feet with his aura taking the hit and recovered instantly. Zinnia fired several more electric bolts and Remus dodged each one with ease. Seeing her efforts fail, Zinnia extended her whip-sword and swung at the area where Remus was in a sweeping motion. He jumped over the segmented blade, but Zinnia kicked her blade up with her foot and the whole blade followed as it lifted up and harmlessly touched Remus's stomach. She twirls the hilt in a circle and the blade follows the pattern, spiraling along its whole length, including Remus. She performed this all in a single, elegant motion and then she pulled back while retracting her blade a bit. Remus was wrapped up in Zinnia's whip-sword and he fell to the ground while bound. He teleported out of his binds and appeared behind the red-haired Underland to land two blows with his swords. Metal clashed and Remus could see his surprise attack failed. Zinnia was too swift to react and blocked both his swords with the blade of her wrist weapon.

Their eyes met and both could see the same determination. It surprised Remus. Her eyes were like his and he knew there was more meaning to that than she could possibly know. She was keeping up with him and reacting correctly. Was she like him? Was Zinnia close to breaking through her own limits? He was more intrigued by her than he thought.

"Alex!" Ebony called out as she and Brenton advanced to their enemy.

Though she wasn't fond of that nickname, she responded by moving to their location. She had her halberd in her hands and Ebony jumped onto the shaft. Alexandrite swung her weapon upward with great strength and she sent Ebony soaring above the battlefield.

Violet glanced up at Ebony then returned her focus to Brenton and Alexandrite. They were coming her way but she didn't face them alone. Stood got in front of her and unleashed a wave of wind that covered the whole area. Instead of using his usual counter, Brenton stabbed his blade into the ground then firmly gripped Oathburnter's trigger, releasing a torrent of flame at the ground that propelled him into the air. Alexandrite created a wall around herself to guard against the wind that came her way. She felt the force hit the wall and waited for it to end. It did but she wasn't expecting what came next. Leaping onto her crystal wall and jumping over it again, Violet was in the air above Alexandrite with many Enigmas in her hands. She threw them all at Alexandrite and they either pierced or scratched her crystal armor. Any knives embedded in the crystal or on the ground began to ignite with fire. In an instant, an explosion consumed Alexandrite and blew crystal shards everywhere. Violet landed on the ground and took a few steps backward.

In the air, Ebony was flying thanks to Alexandrite and she was making Silver her target. The gunman saw her coming and unleashed a barrage of bullets, but she deflected them all by spinning her spear in the line of fire. She protected herself from every one of them until she reached him. Silver changed Fenrir to escrima sticks to counter but Ebony attacked him before he could properly respond. A jab in the gut from the shaft then Ebony slammed it against Silver's head, knocking him down. He fell down but he recovered and stayed afloat, returning his weapons back to guns. Ebony was no longer soaring through the air. She was beginning to fall and Silver saw his chance. He fired a Gravity Bullet at her and she deflected it but felt the weight of Trois Reines increase. She was forced to let go of her spear as it plummeted to the ground, leaving her defenseless as she fell with it. Silver positioned himself below her so he could take full advantage. Then he saw it.

"Dammit," he cursed.

Flying in the background and heading their way was Monochrome. It was entering the battle. Prioritizing Ebony's life above all, Monochrome swooped in to save her. She landed on her machine's back and it flew her to the ground. He refused to waste this opportunity. Silver fired on Ebony and Monochrome while they descended. If he got in close, Monochrome would overwhelm him with raw power, so attacking from a distance made the most sense to him. Bullets flying their way, Monochrome took them head-on, making sure its front was facing the assault so Ebony was completely protected from behind. Three shots hit it square in the chest and Ebony mentally cursed herself for not catching on fast enough.

Gravity Bullet

They began to fall at an alarming rate as Monochrome was too heavy to fly itself. Ebony jumped off her metal companion and dove to the ground.

Brenton ceased his rising with his sword and dove down with Zelts as his landing spot. His massive sword still wreathed in flames, Brenton descended upon Zelts like a meteorite. Zelts spun his blades to conjure a small vortex of wind around his body he continued spinning to increase his movement speed and veered left, avoiding Brenton's blow. The flames imbuing Oathburner were unleashed onto the ground from the impact. The immediate area around them was burned as the rocky ground was scorched and the air continued to get hotter.

Dodging the fire was easy, but Zelts couldn't have expected a spear to land a foot away from his side. Trois Reines landed beside Zelts and it caught him off guard. It gave Brenton the chance to aim his sword and pull the trigger, sending a ball of fire Zelts's way. It hit him, blowing up in his face and tossing him aside into the ground.

Brenton fired another blast while Zelts was down. Gunfire resounded and earth erupted in front of the downed knight. A pillar stone acted rose and acted as a shield protecting Zelts from a second attack. "You okay?"

Getting back up, Zelts found Silver floating to the ground by his side. He answered, "Yeah, just a little shook up. Let's do this."

Silver immediately grabbed Zelts arm and activated his semblance, making the Golden Wind light as he spun him around to gain momentum then threw him at Brenton, enacting Starfall.

Clash! Clash! Clash!

Zinnia and Remus parried each other again with neither side giving an inch. They seemed evenly matched and it made Remus feel intimidated but mostly excited. He was in his own thoughts as they fought.

" _She's… just like me! She could break her limit and be stronger if she could!"_

She made it this far without guidance, unlike him and her progression seemed to be the opposite of his. His body met the physical requirements for Project: New World, but his mind wasn't at the state necessary to keep up with it at full strength. It was vice versa for Zinnia. Her mind was ready but her body had yet to surpass its physical peak. She could perceive movements despite how fast her opponents were but she was barely keeping up. Her body was incapable of moving as fast as she desired like her brain was three steps ahead of everything else.

Zinnia would be one of the greatest warriors in Remnant if she could master this. Remus knew he shouldn't think that, but the Cobalt in him wanted to see it. He enjoyed fighting from the bottom of his heart, but the situation demanded he bury those feelings. Unconsciously, a grin was forming on his face.

Remus pushed Zinnia away and backed up and brought his swords together. He didn't stop there as he transformed Delta into its blaster rifle form. He fired three shots at Zinnia. She ran toward him, stepping to the side several times to dodge them all and advance in a serpentine motion. Remus changed Delta back to its sword form, but Zinnia was already in front of him. She brought her whip-sword down on his shoulder, but it failed to connect. Her blade hit something as she and Remus heard the sound of metal clashing. Zinnia's sword arm was pushed back from the unexpected impact then she felt something hit her across her body. It felt like a blade.

She backed away from Remus, creating a lot of distance to see what hit her, but there was nothing. Zinnia knew what was happening.

It took Remus a second to understand what happened, but he was glad she came to assist. "Thanks, Vi."

Tulip petals danced around him as he felt a hand on his shoulder for a brief moment. Violet walked in front of him with one of her kukris drawn.

"Zinnia is too difficult for any of us to take alone," she recited. This was information she told Silver and Zelts while they were tailing Ebony's group. All of Ebony's people were strong with each confrontation ending in their defeat or no clear winner. The only option Team VRSZ had to challenge them and win was through teamwork.

Something crashed behind Zinnia and the unexpectedness of it surprised everyone, but Zinnia refused to let either of her opponents out of her sight. When the dust cleared, it was clear what fell was Monochrome. The droid laid in the stone looking unfazed as always, but it wasn't the only surprise to grace them. Landing gracefully beside Zinnia was her liege.

Ebony, Zinnia, and Monochrome together was not something Violet enjoyed to face, however, she noticed Ebony did not possess Trois Reines. Taking whatever chance she could find, Violet threw several knives at Ebony, but none of them reached her as she predicted. Zinnia deflected three while Monochrome quickly rose up and swatted away two more. Her protectors made getting to her a problem.

The smoke cleared where Alexandrite stood and she stood with her crystal armor damaged or broken through by Violet's explosion. She was hurt but her level of aura was still good. The warrior did a quick sweep of the battlefield and found Brenton facing off against Silver and Zelts while Ebony and Zinnia were squaring up with Violet and Remus. Alexandrite knew where she wanted to go.

A fiery blast jettisoned toward Zelts who was thrown by Silver. He brought his shield together and positioned it in front of himself. He felt the powerful heat against Heart of Gold as it collided, but it did not waver or give. He was still making his way toward Brenton so he split his shield into wingblades. Once he got close enough, Zelts brought his massive blades down with wind following behind them.

It was obvious an attack was coming, so Brenton activated Boost, but he didn't channel the energy into Oathburner but rather used it to increase his physical might. A powerful upward swing to counter Zelts's attack. The impact resounded around them and Brenton fought to keep his eyes open as the gust of wind blew past him, but he overcame it all and, with flame cloaking his sword, knocked Zelts into the air with sheer force, damaging his enemy's aura. The Golden Wind was tossed into the air, but Silver was already there, floating above them and to where Zelts was headed. Zetls flipped his body so his legs would reach Silver first and Silver placed his feet onto Zelts's feet and pushed him back into the fray like a springboard. Both men knew teamwork was needed to win.

This unexpected counterattack happened too quickly for the King of Flames to react and he felt the impact of two large wingblades falling onto his shoulders and running down his body. It didn't end there as the wind that came after blew him far away from where he once stood. He tumbled across the rocky floor before stopping. Brenton opened his eyes to see a pair of feet. Lifting his head, he could see Alexandrite. This could work out for him.

With the upcoming battle, Ebony briefed him and Zinnia about how to fight VRSZ. She acknowledged how skilled they were and how dangerous each of them was, and she came up with the one element to give them the advantage: teamwork. If they could isolate one of them and fight together, they could win indisputably. That was their aim.

With that tactic in mind, Brenton looked to the ally with him and doubted she would cooperate. Alexandrite may be on their side, but she was a wildcard at best. The most he hoped for was for her to cause enough chaos to distract them to give him a chance to finish the battle.

Violet and Remus moved to the side as Zinnia shot out her whip-sword at them. It was a simple attack that had no strategy or clever trick. Violet didn't know what her cousin was thinking. She knew Zinnia was better than this. She grabbed an Enigma and threw the knife at her cousin but the small projectile was blocked when Zinnia lifted her segmented blade into the knife's path. Zinnia pulled her blade back and it returned with something wrapped around the tip. Trois Reines. She gave the weapon back to its original owner and Ebony smiled at her friend.

Without warning, Monochrome began to rocket into the sky then it charged forward toward Violet and Remus. Zinnia and Ebony remained where they were, but Zinnia extended her sword and performed a sweeping motion to get their lower halves. Ebony watched with a grin as she changed Trois Reines from spear to sword and held the scabbard rifle.

A two-prong assault came their way but Violet and Remus didn't falter. The Scarred Flower raised her fist at the Blue Flicker. "Cloak & Dagger."

Remus said nothing and bumped fist with Violet, ready to continue the fight.


	62. VRSZ The Champions: Fated Battle Part 2

**Setting: Marble Valley**

The sound of their battle echoed throughout this landscape. With no other forms of life in this desolate corner of the continent, the presence of both parties was quite profound. Flames rose to the sky and winds raged. Gunfire and lasers were heard and seen, and metal colliding with metal resounded.

Brenton produced a wildfire of flames at Zelts and Silver that danced around them and trapped them in a ring of fire with flames too tall for them to see through. Zelts had his wingblades in his arms, reeling them back to create a strong enough gust to blow the flames away, but he and Silver were taken aback when Alexandrite rushed through them, covered head to toe in red crystal armor. Fire danced across her armor until they died out and she wielded her halberd which was also encased in crystal, making it harder and appear more menacing.

She brought her massive polearm down to strike Zelts and Silver quickly kicked his friend in the side, activating dust when he made contact to make Zelts lighter, and knocking him out of the way of the attack. Alexandrite missed so she followed up with a few quick blows aimed at Silver since he was the closest target. Three swings as she advanced on him and Silver was forced to back away. He avoided each attack by ducking and weaving away until he reached the flames behind him. She raised her weapon to attack from above, knowing Silver would try to take to the skies for safety, and brought it down on him.

This made Silver remember the time she and the Ravagers attacked Fortuna, specifically his battle with her. There was no way he could block her strikes and remain unscathed. She attacked with all her might and this was no different. With the air cut off as an escape route, Silver just rolled to the left to avoid the devastating blow that cracked the stone beneath. As he did, he felt his body pressed against the flames. He was too close for his liking and it only felt worse when Alexandrite grabbed one of his ankles. Silver tried to shoot her but she lifted off the ground and over her head before slamming him into the rocky floor.

The wind was taken out of him and she was ready to impale him with her halberd, but Zelts returned and blocked the attack, using one of his wingblades as a shield while striking her armored body with the other. His attack didn't do much as it let a long crack run down from her chest to her left leg, so Zelts pushed her away with his shield half. Alexandrite was forced to let go of her weapon and an idea sparked in Silver's head.

Alexandrite felt the thrill of battle facing these two. Every encounter with VRSZ was enjoyable for her. The battle was so great she hoped Brenton wouldn't interfere yet, but knew he was bound to join her. Her eyes were locked on Zelts until a blur shot up over him. She found Silver and he was holding her halberd which was still encased with her crystal. Now that she wasn't holding it, the crystal would crumble away in a few seconds. He had his body position to throw it at her and his sudden attack stunned her. Silver hurled the weapon at her, using Gravity to increase its weight to make more of an impact, and it connected, hitting Alexandrite's right side. The halberd broke through the crystal armor surrounding her torso and arm as it made contact then landed behind her. She howled in pain from the blow that grazed her body but dealt massive damage to her aura. The rest of her crystal armor started cracking. Protecting herself with her semblance was her greatest defense and attacking with them boosted her offense. Now she knew which was superior.

She kneeled while her adversaries stood over her. Though she loved battle, she preferred if she won. Zelts had his wingblades at the ready until fires came and washed him and Silver away. It was only a matter of time. Marching through the flames was the lizard faunus who commanded them. Brenton kept moving until he was by Alexandrite's side. She looked to him with a miffed expression. He scoffed at her for enjoying this and helped her up. Neither of them had to say it. They needed to fight together.

Zelts and Silver's aura took a beating when they were caught in that flamethrower. It carried them out of the fire ring and would've taken them further if Zelts didn't blow them away with his wind. The battle was taking a toll on them both.

"No point in holding back anymore," Zelts said to himself before activating Conversion. He absorbed all the dust weaved into his clothing, draining every last ounce of power. His eyes shined a shimmering gold like always, but they were brighter than usual and he felt his entire body surged with power.

"This is the final battle, so why not go all out."Zelts turned to Silver with a serious expression then said, "Silver, you might want to back up. I'm about to go really cut loose and I don't want you to get swallowed up in this."

He slowly walked over to the two enemies then he noticed Silver walking beside him. "As you said, this is the final battle. Why wouldn't I fight by your side? Do you think I can't weather the storm with you?"

A flicker of amazement flew through Zelts's face then it was tempered with amusement. He shouldn't have expected any less from his friend. Silver changed Fenrir into its sniper form and Zelts charged into battle with his body's strength increased by Conversion.

Out of respect and experience, Brenton did the same, activating Boost to increase his own physical might then rushed out to meet Zelts, the man he considered a rival. Alexandrite used her semblance to give herself new armor. The color reflected her ever-changing eyes which were blue. Blue armor covered where the red armor was breached. She followed behind Brenton but took a step back once her armor was attacked. The crystal around her neck and above her chest was cracked. The source of the crack was still in the armor where she felt the impact. A bullet. Her eyes turned to Silver who was kneeling and had his rifle aimed at her.

He was not going to let her do as she wished. The power of his ammunition was stronger in rifle form. He could get through. Pinning her down and shattering her defenses was what he could do to help Zelts who was engaged in another elemental duel with Brenton.

Ebony and Monochrome made their way to Violet and Remus with Zinnia attacking from a distance with her segmented blade. In a flowery flash, Violet vanished from sight and Remus teleported away, both getting out of the enemy's view. This wasn't a problem in Ebony's mind. Monochrome had thermo-vision to track heat sources. Finding either would be-

Monochrome fell to the ground with Remus on top of him. He grabbed his sword and impaled the droid's back. The durable metal alloy of Monochrome's exterior only allowed the blade to pierce through and nothing more. It was unable to go deeper and hit anything vital. Monochrome discharged electricity to keep Remus at bay and the Cobalt used Checkpoint again.

Ebony glanced behind her to Zinnia and they locked eyes, communicating with just a look. Zinnia extended her whip-sword and swung it across the ground, covering a massive span of the battlefield. Ebony jumped above it and listened while she landed. She heard it. The sound of feet falling back to the ground. it came from her backside between her and Zinnia. " _There you are!"_

Ebony did turn her head. She quickly and subtly aimed her scabbard rifle at the location and fired. Her shot reached the spot and was deflected to the ground with the sound of metal ricocheting. She found Violet's location. Ebony pursued her adversary who didn't break her semblance after being found out. She changed Trois Reines to spear and attacked with wide swings for a better chance of hitting Violet and made sure to put more focus on her hearing. Since she couldn't see Violet, she needed to hear her in order to fight her.

As Ebony attacked around her, Violet backed away but every time she did, Ebony got closer to her position. Even if she removed her presence, she couldn't stop herself from making sounds. The faintest noise alerted Ebony who was slowly reaching her and if Violet continued to use her semblance to this degree to hide her presence, she'd drained her aura. Being smart was her best tactic.

Remus danced around the battlefield while dealing with Zinnia and Monochrome, teleporting around to keep them disoriented, but it was barely working. Monochrome was barely fazed and Zinnia had a caliber of focus that prevented her from falling for his tricks. She followed him as he used Checkpoint in succession, but her focus was mostly on Ebony. Keeping her safe was her utmost priority in this conflict. She felt his presence and could almost see the attack coming, but her body didn't react as quickly as her mind wanted. Zinnia raised her sword and it clashed with Remus's who performed a downward strike from midair, but he put more power in his attack and his blade connected with Zinnia's shoulder. The damage was minimal since Zinnia backed away, but she felt humiliated for her mind being too divided in this situation.

Many of her peers called her the Paragon. It was time she started living up to that name.

After Remus landed the hit, Zinnia grabbed the segmented part of her blade and wrapped it around Remus's arm and sword. She pulled the hilt back and tossed it forward and the rest of the blade followed with Remus at the end of it. He was taken for a ride and sent flying toward Monochrome who had its salvo of missiles at the ready. Five missiles were let loose and Zinnia flung Remus into the air. They made contact with several explosions that consumed the Blue Flicker.

"It can handle the rest," Zinnia told herself while she ran to her friend's battle.

The smoke from the missile barrage cleared but Remus wasn't there. Falling from the sky was Monochrome, damaged from its own attack and standing where it once stood was Remus. He was relieved it went smoothly and knew he would've been finished if he didn't learn Round Robin. He also knew how strong Monochrome's weaponry was, so he figured it did a number on itself. When he got a good look at the droid, he could see it was badly hurt. Its exterior was dented and burned. Monochrome crashed to the ground and Remus ran to pursue it. He leaped in the air above the downed robot and had his sword ready to run into its head, but a whip-sword came by and slashed at his neck, forcing him to fall to the ground. Zinnia was back and her face showed her attention was all on him.

Remus parted Delta into two swords, knowing he needed to go all out to defeat her. He dashed to the side and ran faster and faster until he was just a blur. Zinnia stayed her ground and tried to keep track of him, but she lost him very quickly. Waiting for him to strike was foolish. She moved from her position, moving across the battlefield so she wouldn't remain a sitting duck. As a precaution, she activated Armaments and imbued her whip-sword in her aura, but she realized there was another method to slow Remus down

" _Ice would work… but-"_ she could feel the heat from here. Brenton and Zelts had already begun their battle and the heat it created was stifling. " _Stone would be best,"_

She pulled out cartridges of dust and placed them inside her wrist weapon before aiming the gun barrel. Zinnia fired repeatedly at the ground around her, creating pillars of rock around her and the battlefield. Impairing Remus's speed was complete. Now all she needed was to land a hit.

Something ripped through the air around Ebony jumped back to avoid them even though she wasn't sure where they landed. Having invisible knives thrown at you was just terrifying. This statement passed through Ebony's mind before she landed, but her placement was off. Her feet were slipping. Appearing in front of her was Violet who was in the air and had her foot out for Ebony to take. She kicked her, but Ebony blocked it with the polearm of her weapon. Still, her feet gave from the force of the blow and she was pushed backward, but she placed one arm out and landed on her hand, flipping back onto her feet while using the momentum to swing her spear forward to Violet who deflected it with her kukris.

She felt it with her hand. Violet made Enigmas with ice dust invisible and coated the floor with it. Ebony couldn't help but be impressed with Violet's ingenuity. It made beating her all the more worthwhile. Back on her feet, Ebony pressed forward to strike, using the reach her spear gave her, and she clashed with Violet's kukris again, but she noticed they were invisible instead of the wielder. She wondered what advantage that gave her. Violet moved into Ebony's space and led with a slash of her invisible knife and Ebony jumped back to avoid such a simple attack, but it wasn't enough. She created enough berth to avoid the length of the kukri, but she still felt the blade slice her aura. Violet moved in for a second strike but she felt the air leave her lungs as she was knocked away. Her aura level went down considerably. Ebony was glad she had her scabbard rifle in her other hand and that she learned how to fire with just one hand, but she needed to figure out the length of Violet's blades and how she increased it.

"Either ice or earth dust. Then enough force can shatter it,"

Violet sucked in some air and landed on her feet and dashed toward Ebony who did the same. The two leaders of both teams continued their bout. Ebony had to figure out what dust Violet was using and Violet had to be wary of the rifle. It was during this fight that Violet realized how skilled Ebony was. Initially, she believed Zinnia to be the biggest threat, but her opinion was beginning to change. The art of deception was a weapon for Ebony and she was deceptively strong.

Three more shots and Alexandrite could feel her armor breaking apart. She was down to one knee with her eyes on Silver who kept her pin to the ground. Her view of him was obscured by emerald flames. She turned her head to find Brenton with his arms wreathed in blue flames that he sent toward Zelts who was surrounded by golden wind until he expanded it with his wingblades to act as a shield. The collision created more colorful flames that flew upward into the sky. They were dangerous, uncontrollable, yet dazzling to watch. Malevolent beauty described the emerald flames perfectly.

It was a spectacular battle and Alexandrite was desperate to participate, but Silver did his best to keep her at bay by penetrating her armor and keeping her fixed in place as she mends it with more aura. This was delaying the eventual depletion of her aura. She knew it, Silver knew it, and so did Brenton who watched in the midst of battle. He landed on the ground and found Zelts flying through the air. He descended to bring both his blades down on the King of Flames but missed when Brenton jumped to the left. He positioned himself between Silver and Alexandrite where she spun his body and carved a circle in the ground with Oathburner. Sapphire flames rose and birthed a tower of fire that rose high into the air.

Silver lost his mark and changed Fenrir back to twin guns. He shot the ground around him with bullets filled with earth dust to form a wall around him. The tower collapsed and the fire spread through the ground. Silver bunkered behind his wall as the flames spread everywhere. He could feel the intense heat on the other side and wait for the fire to be expelled to die. He watched from the sides as the flames coming through got smaller. This was his chance. He quickly jumped to the top of his wall and aimed his guns to fire, but he was met with a newly armored Alexandrite. Clad in green crystal, she brought her halberd down with a downward strike and the attack hit Silver. He was struck on the shoulder and the force behind the attack caused the stonewall beneath him to crumble. Silver fell to the ground with little aura remaining as Alexandrite stood over. him. She raised her large spear to end him but he refused to be the first to go down.

Bang!

Silver fired point-blank at the Bedazzled Behemoth's face. A bullet penetrated the armor around her forehead. It cracked but did not give. The most that attack did was surprise her and it halted her attack.

"Zelts!"

Like summoning a storm, the wind stirred around them. The Golden Wind never turned a blind eye to his teammates in peril. Above all, he was the shield of Team VRSZ. Zelts created a massive tornado that eclipsed the flame tower Brenton created. He put more power behind this attack. It was necessary to protect Silver and keep Brenton at bay. The violent golden tornado was too strong for Brenton to get any closer or do anything to stop it. His flames would be blown out from this distance and if he got any closer, then the tornado would suck him in. The safest thing for him to do was to retreat out of the tornado's range. Brenton did so and wondered if Alexandrite would be able to withstand it.

Falling back, Brenton found Monochrome in a small crater, Zinnia fighting Remus, and Ebony fighting Violet. This was not the plan Ebony envisioned and he planned to correct it while Zelts and Silver were busy.

Zelts controlled his tornado and moved it to Silver and Alexandrite's location. The windstorm was breaking apart the rocks around them and sent them flying around the area. It was dangerous, but Zelts had faith Silver could weather it.

Gravity was a blessing. Silver kept his semblance active to make his body heavy enough so the tornado couldn't scoop him up. The same couldn't be said for Alexandrite who was lifted off her feet then swallowed up by the wind. She was tossed and spun around endlessly inside the storm so much that she couldn't tell what was up and down or left and right. The intensity of the storm was beginning to rip her armor apart. It was shredded until only shards were left on her skin. The Bedazzled Behemoth was helpless against Zelts's elemental might.

Besides stones and herself, there was something else inside the tornado. Flying along the current was Silver with Fenrir in both his hands. He didn't have enough aura to withstand the tornado, so he needed to end this now. He fired volleys of bullets at Alexandrite, hitting her with each shot. He didn't stop until he reached her and when he was close, Silver changed Fenrir to escrima sticks. Winding both his arms, Silver clotheslined Alexandrite, knocking her whole body back, and he grabbed her arm. He kept his grip on it and lifted it until he was above her and she was on her back just below him. He wrapped her arm and one of her legs in his arms then sat on her back. Silver activated Gravity, increasing his and Alexandrite's weight as much as he could, then they plummeted to the ground.

Zelts ceased his tornado. The massive windstorm began to disappear and he gained a clear view of Silver and Alexandrite fall. They crashed and a huge crater formed from the impact. The dust cleared and he could see his friend sitting atop Alexandrite whose aura broke apart from the fall. She laid in the ground unconscious. There was nothing else she could do. Silver had a smirk but he felt his aura break apart as well. He couldn't use his semblance and no longer had any protection. He fell backward and landed on the ground spread eagle. He was heaving and taking in deep breaths.

"You alright?!" Zelts asked as he ran toward his friend. His eyes still glowed gold but his voice carried all the concern.

"Never… better," Silver managed to squeak out. His body was aching but he had to get over it. He had to balance himself to get on his feet, but he stood tall. "See?"

He wasn't sure how he looked but it seemed to be enough to convince Zelts he was okay. Zelts turned away and said, "Good. Let's join the others. This fight is far from over."

Silver couldn't see it, but he felt like a smirk worked its way onto Zelts's face. The gunslinger walked forward with his friend.

Zinnia's adrenaline was pumping as she countered another of Remus's blows. Her blade cloaked in aura was more than enough to handle his strikes, but his speed made it impossible to know where he was. It was only her instincts that helped her guess where he was going to attack next. She scanned the immediate area but didn't find Remus, though the sight of Brenton was a surprise. His aura was exuding from his body and she knew what he was going to do next.

She leaped high into the air and watched as Brenton unleashed an enormous amount of flame that washed the floor. Zinnia could see nothing but fire around her as she landed on one of the stone pillars she made. Perched on her new vantage point, Zinnia waited. This was enough to flush Remus out. Her instincts took over, and she swept the area with her whip-sword, slashing apart all the other pillars so her adversary did not possess a foothold. She narrowed his means of escape and she figured out where he was.

" _Above!"_ she looked up and found Remus trying to land on top of her.

She got her sword ready but Remus vanished from her sight. It wasn't from Checkpoint. Swooping down from the sky was a badly damaged Monochrome who tackled Remus away. It pushed Remus to the ground and stayed airborne. The Blue Flicker got back up and had a big grin on his face.

Remus couldn't care less about Monochrome, but Zinnia Underland and Brenton Drake were different. He couldn't ask for better opponents. He gripped both swords in his hands as his adversaries came his way. Smile unwavering.


	63. VRSZ The Champions: Fated Battle Part 3

**Setting: Marble Valley**

This was getting fun, but the mission had to come first. Defeat Ebony. Remus had to remember this as he was bombarded with missiles. He jumped and ran from eight of them as he felt the presence of a warrior behind him. He didn't turn around to see who it was or know how they were attacking. He quickly brought the longsword half of Delta to his backside and blocked another sword.

No heat or flames. He was right to assume Zinnia was attacking him. However, he could feel himself begin to sweat more than before. Brenton was coming down from above with Oathburner's blade aimed straight down and wrapped in flames. Remus recognized it as one of Brenton's favored moves; a falling meteor-like dive. It was destructive, but not fast enough to catch him as Remus began to move away from the attack and Zinnia, but as soon as he started running, he tripped. Falling to his knees, Remus looked to his feet to find them wrapped in the blade of Zinnia's whip-sword and the Paragon was already at a safe distance. This was going to drain his aura, but he believed using Checkpoint was better than having a sword plunged into his spine.

He was about to make the jump, but he found something coming his way and he didn't believe he needed to escape. Leaping above the young Cobalt was Zelts who raised his shield above his head and intercepted Brenton's dive. With the boost in strength he had from Conversion he swung his arms and shield to the side to deflect Brenton off his course. The King of Flames was prepared to land but he was shot several times before reaching the ground and when he did, his body was encased in ice.

Silver was glad Zelts gave him an opening. With his aura gone, he couldn't risk facing any of the Champions in a head-to-head fight. Keeping his distance was the only way he could aid the others in the fight. He held Fenrir as a sniper rifle close to aim for Monochrome next. He fired three shots at the droid's backside, but his target flew up to avoid the projectiles and Monochrome danced in the air at incredible speed, but Silver was keeping track of it. Monochrome opened many of its exterior platings to put its nodes on display and charged all of them with lightning dust. It began to look like a wild bolt of lighting was dancing through the sky before making its way to Silver.

"Oh, come on," he groaned as he aimed his sniper at the ground. He waited for Monochrome to get closer.

As this was happening, Zinnia took advantage of Remus watching Zelts and flicked her blade upward. Still wrapped around his legs, Remus was launched into the air and was slammed into Zelts who was still above him. Their collision gave Zinnia another chance to swing her hilt again and brought them both down to the ground. She swung her blade again and Remus was tossed around the area before he could react. In the middle of her swing, Zinnia released Remus's leg from her blade, uncurling it and retracting it back to its base length while Remus was tossed into a stone wall.

"Brenton!" she shouted to her teammate who was still frozen in ice but his aura still permeated around his body. As if responding to her call, the ice around him began to crack around him. Then fire expelled from the Oathburner and Brenton was enveloped in blue flames. When they spread out, he came into view, looking like he was never frozen, to begin with. His eyes darted toward Zinnia then Zelts and knew what she wanted.

She sent her whip-blade to him and he grabbed it. With his boosted strength, Brenton yanked the blade forward and the Paragon held her hilt with both hands. She was pulled toward Brenton and over him, flying over to Zelts who just got up. With her legs out, Zinnia landed a powerful double kick against Zelts's ribcage, the force from her and Brenton's team attack knocked Zelts away and sent him skitting across the rocky floor. Now it was Zinnia's turn to pull on her blade and swing Brenton around. The same maneuver had Brenton flying across the battlefield to reach his foe. She wasn't as strong as the King of Flames when he used Boost, but she was still strong enough to toss him around. She flung him toward Remus and he landed a few dozen feet in front of the Blue Flicker.

Remus was still in the wall, laying in the crater he made with his eyes open, watching the lizard faunus approach. He pulled himself out of the crater but he staggered a bit before standing upright. Brenton didn't try to get closer yet, knowing Remus as an unpredictable fighter, though with all the battling he's done, he figured Remus wasn't faking his fatigue.

Silver fired his sniper at the ground once Monochrome was too close to withdrawing. This bullet was filled with wind dust and a concentrated gust of wind propelled the gunslinger into the air before Monochrome crashed into it. When it did, the electricity surging through its body was discharged all at once, consuming a large portion of the area.

" _There is no way I'm fighting that thing by myself! Vi! Remus! Zelts! I could really use some help! I don't have any aura!"_ he screamed in his mind.

Violet was still in her duel with Ebony, still using her semblance to keep her kukris invisible. She didn't know what dust she was using nor the length of her blades. It was her only advantage. She hated to admit, but Ebony was too good. Despite her invisible weapons, she was barely landing a blow. The best she could do was graze or knick Ebony a couple of times and land one good blow, but holding her own was a struggle.

Ebony felt the same. Volet was just as vexing to battle as Zinnia was as a sparring partner. She believed it was genetic. It had to be. Her spear was the best form to counter both knives. The spearhead and polearm helped her stay on the defensive, but she couldn't use her scabbard rifle. This was necessary until she learned the secret of Violet's weapons. No matter their length, Trois Reines was longer in spear form.

A strong strike from both of them led their weapons to clash. The force of the combined blows pushed them both back creating some distance. It allowed Violet to glance over to her boys to see how they're doing. It wasn't looking good. Her eyes landed on Remus and he looked at her. Ebony saw her chance. She raced to Violet while she was distracted. changed Trois Reines to its sword form.

Brenton watched as Remus fell down to one knee. He was breathing heavily and losing his grip on his longsword. Even if his aura protected him from fatal injury, he was still haggard. Running around and fighting everyone took its toll. Brenton held firm to Oathburner and slowly made his way toward him.

Ebony brought her blade back for her attack. She noticed Violet turn her head toward her but knew it was too late for her to protect herself.

Remus lunged for Brenton, who knew the Cobalt wasn't going down without a fight. He had Oathburner at the ready and wrapped in blue flames. Remus took a step forward but he vanished in a puff of blue smoke. When it cleared there was no sign of him. Brenton scanned his surroundings but felt himself being attacked. Two blades ran across his torso. He reeled back but saw nothing. Then another slash struck his stomach followed by something blunt hitting his jaw. He didn't know what was going and expelled the flames on Oathburner to consume the area. He still found nothing.

 _"Oh, shit,"_

He didn't know how Remus did it, but Brenton knew he wasn't fighting him anymore.

When Ebony swung her sword, she felt no resistance and blue smoke filled her vision until she saw the flash of a sword. A blade struck the right side of Ebony's torso. However Violet hit her, she did so in a blur. She saw a sword. Was this what Violet hid with her semblance? Ebony buckled forward a bit then turned to find something surprising. Standing behind her was not Violet, but found a new opponent.

Materializing through a dancing furry of tulip petals was Violet. She stood before Brenton. Remus rose to his feet after striking Ebony, gazing at her backside.

Checkpoint: Round Robin was a very useful technique.

It was unexpected, but Ebony wouldn't deny having Remus as a new dance partner. Actually, any of the men would've been lovely fighting partners, but she couldn't let her mind wander. The person in front of her was a tricky opponent.

Brenton observed Violet and noticed something new about her, specifically her weapons. Her kukris were enveloped in light. Hard light. The rarest type of dust in Remnant. It coated the blades of her curved knives in hard, blue light, extending their length, giving her long, curved blades that were as long as regular swords. It was very reminiscent of Zinnia's Armaments.

Her eyes were set on the lizard faunus and he could feel the intensity from them. She was going to face him next. Brenton wasted no time. Zelts could counter his moves, but the others didn't carry his skillset. He pulled the trigger on the hilt and released a large torrent of sapphire flames that was flying toward Violet. It was twice her height and had a wide berth. Violet put both kukris in one hand then knelt down as it came her way then she jumped high into the air, narrowly avoiding the stream of fire as it almost caught her feet. In the air, she grabbed some throwing knives in her bag with one hand. She threw them at Brenton's feet.

With that large blast, he believed Violet was blown away. He felt relieved in that split second, but that was long enough to leave him open. Four gleaming objects flew past him and he heard the ground beneath him crack. Lowering his head to see what it was, he was too late to stop it. The Enigmas fell close to his feet and ice spread from them, reaching his feet and climbing up his ankles. He raised his head to find Violet and he did as she returned to the ground. He paid no attention to the ice encasing his feet. With one pull of the trigger, he could release flames to melt them in a second. With the strength enhancement from Boost, he could break free with just one step. It could be done at any time, so keeping his attention on Violet felt like his first priority.

He was wrong.

Ebony got into a stance to fight Remus and saw him dash and disappear. She was ready to counter his speed and she waited, but he didn't do anything. He wasn't around. Even if he was moving too fast for the eye to see, there should still be some indication of his presence, but there was nothing. He left Ebony.

Violet put one of her kukris back into her free hand. It was her turn to strike so Brenton got into his fighting stance and took one step forward. He didn't know how, but Brenton went further than he expected. He was looking at Violet then found himself staring at a stone wall which he crashed into a second later. His aura took a massive hit and he had no idea what happened.

Standing where Brenton once stood was the Blue Flicker, happy to see that his and Violet's ploy was a success. They weren't going to make any progress against the Champions unless they worked together. Violet gave him a warm grin and he reciprocated but noticed Silver in the air with Monochrome flying after him. He used Checkpoint to get there fast. Violet turned to Brenton who was trying to pull himself out the hole and threw six Enigmas his way. They landed above him and exploded in a fiery fashion and the explosion caused the tall boulder to fall apart. The King of Flames was buried in the rubble.

Silver gritted his teeth as the wind dust sending him in the air finally stopped and watched Monochrome fly toward him with one of its arms turned into a lance. This changed when Remus teleported below him with Delta back into its base sword form. The jubilation of finally receiving back up was clearly shown with his big smile, but it was short-lived.

Immediately after he appeared, Remus was shot. A bolt of energy struck him in the shoulder and another hit his leg, disturbing his rhythm as Monochrome flew up and rammed into Remus's stomach with its lance, pushing him and itself past Silver who was now falling back to the ground. The droid shot the lance missile and sent Remus flying further into the sky. Getting higher and higher into the sky, Remus lifted himself off the tip of the lance then pushed himself away from it as it kept going.

Standing at a distance with the barrel of her wrist weapon aimed at Remus was Zinnia, watching her handiwork. She had Zelts wrapped in her whip-sword and was observing the battle. The battle was in VRSZ's favor. That needed to change. She could make it happen, right now.

Silver grabbed Fenrir and fired at the ground before he landed. The wind dust he fired created a funnel that slowed his fall until he rolled onto the floor. When he got up, Remus teleported near him. The young Cobalt could feel his aura was dangerously low. He's been fighting and using his semblance too much. It won't last.

Suddenly, something came their way and knocked Remus aside. Silver turned to his friend and found Remus on the ground with Zelts in a daze on top of him. What happened? Silver looked around in a frenzy. He found Zinnia coming his way. He split Fenrir in two and fired relentlessly, buying time for his comrades to get up. The Paragon danced around the spray of bullets that came her way. Her face showed a frightening calmness like a literal calm before the storm. Eyes never leaving their mark; Silver. All the gunslinger could see was a red-haired blur reach his position.

Crack!

The Paragon knocked Silver aside with a backhand to the jaw, using her arm with the wrist weapon for extra damage. She continued with a punch to the gut with her other hand. He buckled over and ended it with an elbow to his back, forcing him to fall to the ground, holding his jaw in agony.

From Silver's perspective, he got bitch slapped. It hurt a lot. He brought his fingers to his lips and could feel blood. Zinnia hits hard.

" _If I was the old me, I'd stay down and let the others fight for me…"_ Silver thought as he laid on the ground. He tried to rise to his feet but felt the heel of a boot slam into his ribs and he fell to the ground again. He opened his eyes and found a pair of feet in front of him.

"Stay down," she ordered coldly. The whip-sword was in her hands. If he moved again, she'd end him.

They sliced through the air and Zinnia raised her blade to deflect them. Two knives spun in the air before falling to the ground around her and Silver. Gales of wind were released from them and Zinnia braced herself. Violet swooped in and wrapped an arm around Silver's waist then fled the scene. She went to where Zelts and Remus were getting back up.

" _Good. We're all together. It's better than what we were before,"_ Violet thought then looked at her teammates. " _They've been hit pretty hard,"_

Zinnia was glaring at her cousin and Violet stared right back until she turned her head to find Ebony coming onto the scene. She could hear Monochrome flying through the air. _"After everything we've done, we only managed to take down Brenton and Alex-"_

A pillar of blue fire erupted beneath a pile of boulders that was sent soaring high into the air. They came crashing down and the fire tower dissipated with The King of Flames standing in the center.

Violet could barely hold in her indignation. " _...Okay, so after everything we went through, we only took down Alexandrite. Son of a bitch!"_

Monochrome torpedoed to VRSZ and crashed in-between all of them, breaking their formation and leaving them vulnerable. The combat-ready droid transformed its hands to razor-sharp blades with small missiles perched on its wrists. VRSZ received no respite.


	64. VRSZ The Champions: Fated Battle Part 4

**Setting: Marble Valley**

Violet withdrew from Monochrome after it penetrated her team's formation. It separated all of them by forcing them to dodge its attack and the rest of the Champions swooped in. Zinnia went for Zelts with her blade but he was able to fend it off by blocking with Heart of Gold. She swung the hilt and the blade followed, swinging toward Silver who wasn't as fortunate as his friend. The blade was already too close for him to jump so he raised his guns up to protect himself from the blade. He was knocked to the ground.

"Having no aura sucks," Silver said beneath his breath. "How am I supposed to help?"

"Who said you can't help?" he heard Violet's voice but saw no trace of her. Invisibility. He figured she was already concealing herself. Silver felt a hand lightly grab his shoulder. Violet projected her aura onto Silver and he was invisible too. Her hand left his person and he was still invisible. "You have about two minutes. Give them hell," she said before moving to Zinnia.

Remus aimed his sword at Monochrome and the machine had its arm and missiles aimed at the Cobalt. There was no pause as the droid fired a dozen missiles at Remus who ran away. He turned to the left to get out of the path of the missiles but they followed him and kept tailing.

Seeker missiles.

It was no problem for Remus to avoid them, but he noticed something odd about the missiles. They were accelerating. He didn't know how, but the missiles were beginning to gain in speed. His aura was low. If they hit, then it was game over. If he used Checkpoint, then his aura would drop to zero and it wasn't a guarantee the missiles would stop following him. Suddenly, A beam of red light came out of nowhere, scorching the ground in front of him then it moved toward him. Remus jumped over it with no difficulty but he had no idea where it came from. When he drifted to turn right, he found Monochrome standing with some kind of node protruding from its hand. It fired another laser from the node and Remus reacted by leaping backward. He avoided it, but two of the missiles met him. He quickly jumped a second time to dodge them. They hit the ground where he once stood and exploded. Remus landed and ran again. The other ten continued to follow him while gaining speed. Monochrome kept aiming its laser node at Remus and fired relentlessly and mercilessly, doing its best to hit him or slow them down. All he could do was keep running, moving faster and faster until a moment presented itself.

This was getting hard. Brenton was feeling his body slow down, but masked it by cloaking himself and surroundings in flames. An intimidating sight, but it was all a facade. His aura was almost gone. He wasn't going to last long if he was reckless. For now, his best hand to play was to unleash as much fire as possible. Even without his aura or Boost, he could still fight. He didn't see Violet or Silver. Remus was running around the whole, so that left him with one opponent. His fated rival; Zelts Allister.

Ebony watched the battle unfold, but she paid attention to Silver vanishing out of thin air. She put the pieces together and understood Violet used her semblance on him so she had to keep an eye out for an invisible gunman.

" _That's not terrifying,"_ she thought sarcastically.

She doubted Silver was as stealthy as Violet. If she looked carefully, she could find him. Before she could, gunfire echoed throughout the battlefield. Ebony halted her movement and brought her hand to her chest, realizing she wasn't shot. Taking a second look at her surroundings, she saw the one who was shot was Monochrome. Its arm was encased in ice so it couldn't fire its lasers anymore.

Two more shots and Brenton fell to his knees with large chunks of ice covering his chest. The flames around him melted the ice, but they still got smaller and changed from blue to red. Boost faded away. Brenton was breathing heavily and he was vulnerable to attack. More gunfire went off and Brenton braced himself for the worst. All he heard was the ricocheting of bullets. He raised his head to find Ebony in front of him, wielding her sword and standing in the middle of his fire.

Brenton couldn't fathom what she was doing. " _What is she doing!? She'll destroy her aura then burn her-"_

"Bren-Bren, are you okay? Can you stand?" Ebony asked without looking back, but her voice was laced with concern.

" _Bren-Bren...really? Well, I'm not in a position to argue…"_ Brenton sighed, "I'm fine. Thank you," he told her. He couldn't see it, but Ebony smiled.

Those last few shots were enough for Ebony to pinpoint their origin. She fired a shot from her scabbard rifle and waited. Silver wasn't expecting her to find him so quickly and retaliate like that. He fell to the ground to avoid the gunshot completely. He was glad he was quick enough to duck and lucky enough that he was on rock and not sand. His location wasn't compromised.

Silver stayed on the ground, remaining as still as possible while Ebony stared at his general direction. She marched through the flames while keeping her eyes on him, but made no move.

Silver's luck was running high as Remus ran past Ebony and Brenton with missiles following after him. The winds and dust that followed him forced Ebony to close her eyes and Silver ran away as quickly as possible. He didn't know how much time he had with Invisibility, but he needed to turn the tables somehow.

He looked to Violet and found her fighting Zinnia again. She threw a throwing knife at her cousin point-blank and Zinnia bobbed her head to avoid it and she threw a punch. Violet grabbed her fist and raised her leg to knee Zinnia in the gut, but it collided with Zinnia's knee. The counter was effective as Zinnia headbutted Violet, forcing the Scarred Flower to back away, and then swung her left arm against Violet's arm, freeing her right arm from Violet's grasp. Zinnia unsheathed the blade of her wrist weapon and attacked Violet with it, but she already had one of her kukris out and used it to bat the blade away. She pivoted her foot to activate the hard light dust in the hilt and strike at the same time. Zinnia imbued her wrist blade in Armaments and clashed with her cousin. Each of them gave the other frightening, imposing glares, but neither backed down. They continued attacking each other with a flurry of blows. Their blades clashed so many times and sparks flashed between them.

Their battle was intense and Silver saw no reasonable way to break the feud. If anything, he felt like he would just get caught up as collateral damage. They were scary. Instead of focusing on his teammates, Silver looked toward the enemy, namely Monochrome. Its arm was still frozen but it changed tactics and used its other arm to fire more lasers at Remus. "That needs to stop."

Remus was annoyed about being pursued but he was glad. He was too used to running on sand. With such a firm ground, he could see how much faster he could go and use it against Monochrome. The missiles were gaining thanks to the wind dust inside them, but he wasn't worried. He could always level up his speed. The lasers were quite vexing. Monochrome's aim and ability to track him was impressive. As one laser was coming his way, Remus ducked to avoid it and more were coming.

Monochrome was ready to fire again until its arm was suddenly frozen. Silver was able to freeze it before the Invisibility wore off. He stood ten feet away from the droid that turned its head when it noticed. It changed targets to the more immediate threat that was Silver. It opened its plating to reveal all of its nodes with electricity surging through each one.

Silver showed no fear or anything. His face was solemn and he didn't raise his guns. All he did was look at the massive, menacing machine with a raised eyebrow and said, "Game over."

One second, Monochrome was there, a second later it was gone. A rush of wind blew by Silver as he turned to the right. It happened in an instant. He couldn't see what happened but knew what occurred. He found Remus standing forty feet away from him with the ground beneath his feet scorched and Monochrome laying further away from Remus and was horribly damaged.

Its body had a human-sized dent, the black faceplate was cracked all over, and its frozen arms were torn off. Despite having its appendages blown off and hit with enough force to kill five people, Monochrome was still standing. Some of the nodes were disfigured or broken, but it still released electricity. It continued to follow through with its commands regardless of its own condition.

In a way, Monochrome was rather admirable, but Remus couldn't care less. He wanted the droid obliterated.

The missiles were still following him and he rushed to Monochrome. Silver could see what was about to happen. Monochrome was able to keep up with Remus's speed now that it knew what attacked it and discharged all the lightning once Remus was too close to avoid. When it finished, Monochrome couldn't find Remus. All it found were its own missiles coming straight for it.

"Too slow," Remus said from behind Monochrome after running too fast for the droid to respond or acknowledge his movement. He avoided the lightning by running faster than it could travel or even be discharged. He dashed away and the missiles reached his location and struck Monochrome who stood in the path of their true target. Multiple explosions went off and smoke filled the area afterward.

Remus stood far away from the explosions. When it cleared, Monochrome was reduced to a mangled skeleton of its former self, armor falling apart and burned metal everywhere. It was barely operable, but it continued to move. One of its legs was reduced to scrap metal so it laid on the ground and kicked itself forward, crawling to Remus in order to fight. The faceplate was destroyed and beneath it were large red eyes and circuitry. Monochrome was in a pitiful state.

Bang!

"That's enough," Silver said as he held one of his guns out. He fired his shot into the back of Monochrome head. The bullet went all the way through and the droid stopped moving then collapsed. Monochrome was finally destroyed.

A deep sigh escaped Silver's lungs and he felt a tremendous weight lift itself off his shoulders. The Champion he deemed as the most volatile was dispatched. Gazing at the husk of Monochrome's remains, Silver glanced up to see the Blue Flicker and the faintest hint of a smile. An unexpected display, given his repulsion to robots and machinery. "Is that a smile I see? Did Monochrome's last efforts to fight back leave an impression on you?"

He expected a yes, but he was answered with Remus stomping on Monochrome's head, crushing it. Silver's mouth was ajar and Remus kept his smile going. "I'm really glad it's dead. Robots and droids are the worst," Remus said aloud.

" _Guess that mindset's not gonna change,"_ Silver accepted.

On the other side of the battlefield, Zelts was having a difficult time. How long has he been keeping Conversion active? The answer came in the form of his aura. He could tell it was low and his semblance would fade away soon. The surging strength in his muscles was vanishing and it was picked up by another.

Like a cat eyeing prey, Ebony took notice of Zelts and his sluggish movements. A thought came to mind and she put it to action. She dashed forward without telling Brenton anything. Her destination was Remus and Silver. Brenton didn't know what she was doing and followed behind her to make sure she wasn't doing anything reckless. If he was being honest, he never thought she did anything halfheartedly so going along felt like this was all a part of her scheme.

Her pursuit was caught by Zelts. Silver and Remus just vanquished Monochrome and basking in their victory. If it was just Silver, Zelts understood, but Remus was always alert, however, Zelts believed it was because he was taking in the pleasure of destroying a robot. Neither of them would acknowledge Ebony until it was too late.

He needed to stop her. He needed to be their shield. If this was indeed the last battle for VRSZ, then going above and beyond for them was an easy task. Zelts put his energy into his legs and sprinted to his teammates.

Smashing Monochrome's head filled Remus with an immense amount of satisfaction. He closed his eyes to savor it the moment. He started to hear footsteps. They were getting louder. Closer. He opened his eyes too late. Ebony was behind Silver with her sword drawn. Behind her was a spectacular, violent flame burning bright and eclipsed the Charming Vantablack. His heart raced at the incoming threat and he moved to retaliate but was blindsided. Rushing between them was the Golden Wind himself. Zelts made it in time.

His Heart of Gold was already in shield form but the dazzling flames behind Ebony made it hard to see what she was intending to do. It didn't to Zelts. He raised his shield on instinct, positioning it so it blocked Ebony's body completely. He felt the vibrations from his shield. Ebony's attack, whatever it was, was blocked. His mad rush was a success.

" _I made it in time. Good… they're-"_ Zelts thought in relief, but it didn't last long. The corners of his lips were beginning to curve up until he found Ebony standing to his left. " _What did I-"_

Zelts lowered his shield and found someone on top of it. Brenton stood atop the shield and had his Oathburner aimed Zelts's way. The fire in the sword's revolver was already building and the King of Flames had his finger on the trigger. It then Zelts realized the revolver was positioned not only to strike him but those behind him as well. The flames would swallow them all.

What were Silver and Remus doing? Could they avoid the blast? Did he have enough time to stop Brenton? He didn't. There was no time to stop him from firing, but he knew there was still something he could do. He could be their shield.

Remus watched Zelt block Brenton's attack and Ebony circle him. He had Delta in his hand and Silver already had Fenrir drawn. With their weapons, they were prepared to fight with Zelts but their friend seemed to have something else in his mind. Silver and Remus watched Zelts lift his shield and tilt it toward himself until Brenton's Oathburner was aimed directly at Zelts. They wouldn't be caught. The flames would only reach himself and the ground around him. This was going to hurt. Taking on their pain, burdens, concerns, worries, whatever they couldn't handle alone was what Zelts believed a shield should do and he fulfilled that role once again.

Silver had his gun trained on Brenton and Remus ran in to stop him, but his rhythm was thrown off by Ebony who fired several shots from her scabbard rifle, forcing Remus to stop and block them. She stepped into Silver's space as she fired and brought her sword down to strike him. He rolled out of the way before he could assist Zelts.

It was too late.

Brenton pulled the trigger and he widened his eyes in shock before the flames consumed his adversary. The fires filled the ground around them but didn't spread further than five feet. Silver, Remus, and Ebony watched. The two VRSZ members were in disbelief while the Vantablack gave the boys a moment. Given her intentions for them, she allowed them the chance to mourn.

Oathburner spewed the last of its flames and Brenton remained on the shield while Zelts stood in the same place but his body was covered in ash and soot and his clothes were partially burned to cinders. His jacket was burned to nothing as well as half of his shirt. It was barely hanging on his left shoulder. A few seconds passed and Zelts buckled. He fell to his knees and his arms dropped limply. His Heart of Gold fell down with Brenton landing in front of him. Zelts was down.

Remus couldn't believe it. Zelts was beaten. Disbelief filled his head and distracted him from his surroundings. Silver was stunned as well but his momentary pause was relieved when he found a hand cupping his chin. The gunslinger was shocked to find Ebony running her fingers along his jawline.

"I'm sorry handsome, but we're playing for keeps today," she said before slamming her knee against Silver's abdomen. He buckled over and fell to his hands and knees. Ebony lowered herself and said, "That means I'm going to be a little rough."

She could admit teasing Silver was fun, but it cost her when she felt a sword slice her aura. A blade slashed her backside and knocked her aside. She rolled on the floor before getting back on her feet while shifting Trois Reines into spear form. "Do you want to dance again, love?"

Remus didn't answer as he charged straight for her then vanished. A quick feint to catch her off-guard and Remus was to her left, where she wasn't holding the spear. One swing and Delta clashed with Trois Reines. Her fast reflexes kept her from getting blindsided and she was strong enough to hold her own against him. He found it surprising how well Ebony was in combat.

Brenton paid no attention to Ebony, or his enemies, ignoring everything around him except the man lying at his feet. Staring at Zelts unconscious made him realize how far the man will fight for those close to him. Of all things, why take the full force of the attack? Why did he ask the question he already had an answer to? To keep his teammates safe. Protecting them meant more than protecting himself. Brenton recalled what Zelts did when he aimed Oathburner at himself. " _And you did it with a smile on your face,"_

Respect. The King of Flames had a newfound respect for the Golden Wind who protected those he cared about. It was the same for the people of Corona. In a way, they had something in common. Out of respect, Brenton walked away to join Ebony, refusing to deliver the finishing blow. "You won once, and now I've won. If we both make out this, let's have a tiebreaker to settle it all."

Violet was airborne with her knives in both hands. Zinnia was on the ground with her wrist blaster aimed at her cousin, she charged it then fired, shooting a huge bolt of lightning dust that was hurdling to Violet. Her kukris were still bathed in hard light dust and she could form it into anything she wanted. She changed their structure, changing them from swords wrapped around the blades of the knives to combining them into a shield, very reminiscent of Heart of Gold, to block the large bolt. The blast dispersed when it hit the hard light and Violet felt a little bit of the force on her side. She was falling to the ground as she morphed the hard light back to swords.

" _Hard light is too good not to add to my daily arsenal. Gotta thank Onyx for the find when this is over… Hmm?"_ she turned to her back to find her boys in a dire situation. Zelts was down, Brenton was marching to Silver, and Remus was engaged with Ebony. " _So much for teamwork,"_

Violet landed on the ground and used her semblance to vanish without a trace. Zinnia did lose track of her cousin and was on guard in case she attempted a surprise attack.

Sparks flew between Remus and Ebony as they clashed weapons again. The Charming Vantablack noticed the difference in his fighting style compared to Violet's. His was more direct and focused on overwhelming while Violet's was more tactical. The overwhelming speed of his blows made it a little more difficult for her to defend and parry. Every few blows would get through, nicking and poking at her aura, but she was keeping him at bay better than she expected. She deflected another sword strike and backed away to create some distance… or she made it look that way. If he made the wrong prediction. his rhythm would be disrupted and she could take advantage of it.

Remus did step forward when he noticed she was stepping back, but she quickly rushed forward. It surprised him as she wanted, but not as much as she needed. Eyes wide from the sudden change in her tempo, Remus brought Delta up to his side as Ebony charged in with a spear thrust. He blocked the head with his sword and had the ear-splitting sound of metal scraping against each other ring in his ears as Ebony passed him. Remus had his eyes trained on her, but something made him look away for a second. and broke his focus. Ebony seized her chance. She spun around and kicked him in the stomach. Remus fell over, but something was off to Ebony. She didn't kick him hard enough to actually hurt him. What was his-

Three things flew by her head. She couldn't see what it was but knew they were throwing knives. She couldn't tell they were heading her way and realized how lucky she was they missed. Her aura was still going strong but that didn't mean she wanted to take the hit.

Brenton made his way to Silver who was still exhausted but had his guns up to show he would keep fighting and most importantly, avenge Zelts. The usually talkative gunslinger was silent as he glared at Brenton with obvious, vengeful intent. Brenton didn't blame him for it. He'd do the same for Ebony and Zinnia, but letting Silver win wasn't on his agenda. He wrapped his sword in flames and got into his fighting stance. "Time to finish-"

A peculiar sound resounded around Brenton then felt cold. His feet and legs were suddenly encased in ice. He sighed in annoyance. " _Fell for it again,"_

Looking around, Violet appeared in front of her like a phantom and she definitely spooked Ebony, but it wasn't anything she didn't expect. However, what she didn't expect was for Violet to ignore her. Instead of attacking, Violet leaped over her and Remus with her kukris cloaked in hard light, giving them the length of regular swords. Oh shit! Ebony almost forgot about the crouching Cobalt beside her. She jumped away from all three of them and witnessed Violet's true aim.

The ice crept up to his waist and Brenton couldn't turn around to see what was happening. He brought his flaming sword toward his legs to melt the ice but he was too late. Silver changed Fenrir to escrima sticks and started his beat rush. He smacked his weapons against Brenton's arm to force him to let go of his sword and he did. He backed away and Brenton didn't understand why he did it. It's not like he could see Violet from behind. One cut was all she needed. A large slash to his back and Brenton's aura was reduced to nothing. The pain he felt from Silver's combo and Violet's finisher was enough to put him out of commission. He fell limp but remained standing thanks to the ice trapping him from the waist down.

"...Nice," Silver commented to his friend and teammate.

"Thick As Thieves," Violet signaled using hand signs then raised her fist for him.

Brought his fist up to meet hers but the sudden burst of energy striking Silver's chest sent him flying out of Violet's field of vision. The expression of shock on her face was genuine. Turning her head to watch her friend fall. He laid on the ground with his eyes closed and his face scrunched up in pain like he was sleeping through a nightmare. The direction of the bolt. Violet turned to find Zinnia in the distance with her wrist weapon aimed at them.

"Remus!" she shouted in tempered anger.

Hearing his name shouted alerted Remus to fall back. He ceased his pursuit of Ebony and ran to Violet's side. She used her hand signals to silently issue commands. Two quick gestures told Remus to retrieve Zelts and Silver. He grabbed them both and ran away, moving quickly but not too fast to harm them. He took them to the edge of the battlefield and laid them against the base of a pillar before returning to Violet.

They were the only ones still standing. The same could be said for Ebony's side too. Zinnia walked to stand by Ebony without taking her eyes off Violet. Even with Remus by her side, the Paragon had a good guess the greatest threat was the Scarred Flower. Even with the thinning of fighters, Ebony kept a grin on her face. She locked eyes with Violet who returned her impish expression with a scowl.

It was down to a duel of duos for VRSZ and Ebony's Champions.

* * *

 **There is one dangerous use of Ghost's semblance that he has sworn to never use. While holding items, he can make them and his arm intangible. He can make them phase through people then leave the item in there. It's an effective way to harm someone but it's too sick of an attack for Ghost to ever use. He has never used Spectre like this before but believed it was possible.**


	65. VRSZ The Champions: Fated Battle Part 5

**Setting: Marble Valley**

Zinnia wrapped her arm around Ebony's waist and shot her whip-sword out to the largest stone pillar in the valley. The segmented blade reached the top and she pulled herself and her liege up like her weapon was a grappling gun. Violet and Remus watched them go before the former turned to her last standing teammate. "How much aura do you have left?"

Remus shook his head then replied, "Not a whole lot. I only have enough aura for one more Checkpoint. Do you want me to use it?"

"No. We'll find another way up there. Just hold onto your semblance. It could be a trap," Violet answered then rummaged through her pants pocket. She deactivated the hard light dust in the fourth slot and activated the gravity dust in the third slot. Then she exchanged weapons with Remus, giving him her kukris while she held Delta. The next thing she did was climb onto Remus's back, wrapping an arm around his chest and holding Delta in her other arm.

"Ready?" Remus asked.

"Yeah. Let's finish this," Violet answered with her firm grip on the Blue Flicker and eyes set on the pillar.

Remus took one step back then ran to the pillar at breakneck speed. Violet ducked her head to protect herself from the violent motion and what was about to happen. She'd prefer not to fall off. He didn't stop running or slow down as he reached the base of the pillar. The gravity dust activated and Remus defied gravity, running up the pillar with no resistance like Silver does with his semblance.

The Charming Vantablack held a small grin as she and Zinnia waited for their opponents. As if to affirm herself, Ebony said, "They'll be here soon." This statement was more to herself than to her comrade, but Zinnia replied regardless.

"With this limited space, Remus's traveling distance is finite." The top of the pillar was rather large, about as spacious as her airship. "We have him contained."

" _Once this is done, we'll recover the others and take our leave,"_ Ebony thought. " _I'm waiting for you, Violet,"_

Barely a minute passed after the duo reached the top of the pillar. They didn't have to wait long. Like a bat out of hell, a blur reached the top and soared into the air. Ebony and Zinnia watched it until it was in the path of the sun, forcing them to shield their eyes. With a better view, Zinnia found two knives coming her way. She backed far away and avoided the first. The second one came and she rolled forward to dodge the second. Both knives were embedded into the stone pillar and the figure that threw them landed behind Zinnia and Ebony. It was Remus.

He held Delta in both hands. The handle of his weapon was long enough to be held by both hands, but he always used it for standard or reverse grip with one hand like his original weapon. But with this battle and limited space, he held his weapon with both hands, sacrificing a little speed for more power.

" _There's one, but where's the ringleader?"_ Ebony thought with no sign of Violet. Those knives had to come from somewhere.

She grabbed her scabbard rifle and held it while holding her sword in her other arm. She swiftly turned around and swung her blade while having her rifle aimed at Remus and firing. Her sword collided with something invisible and Remus raised his sword to block the bullet. He was pushed a few feet back near the edge of the pillar. Zinnia dashed to him immediately after her liege fired and attacked. A simple swing with her whip-sword was blocked by Remus's sword but she extended the segmented blade and it wrapped around his weapon and arms.

Violet reappeared after Ebony found her location and blocked her sword with one of her kukris bathed in hard light. The dust extended the knife's blade into a curved sword that matched Ebony's in length. She pushed Ebony aside and attacked while moving to her left, but her blow was parried. Deflecting with her sword allowed Ebony to aim with her scabbard. She fired and Violet barely bobbed her head away from the shot. Violet rolled away and landed near one of the knives she threw when they first arrived.

Should he use Checkpoint? Remus pondered this when his arms were bound in Zinnia's weapon. Once he did so, his aura would be at zero. He'd have no protection from a fatal blow. He stopped wondering what to do when he noticed Violet throw one of her knives his way. He yanked his sword forward to pull Zinnia, but she held her ground and brought out the blade on her wrist weapon. She turned and swung her blade to deflect the knife that started spinning in the air. While she did that, Remus jumped and had his leg out to deliver a strong kick to her skull. The motion of her blade around his arms told her where he was and she raised her other arm to block him, exactly what he wanted. Remus brought his foot back and simply landed on her arm. Zinnia was finally shocked by this unknown strategy as she watched the Blue Flicker use her arm as a foothold. He jumped off her arm and performed an aerial somersault where the deflected Enigma was. He took a page from Violet's book of combat and kicked the pommel of the knife, sending the blade right toward Zinnia.

Remus moved so fast and the knife was so close she couldn't avoid it properly. The best she did was pivot her body away from the blade as it sliced through the aura on her shoulder and down her arm. Getting hit like that was a big surprise to her but not enough to make her lose focus. It was Zinnia's turn to yank on her blade and she brought Remus back to the ground. The pull was harsh as Remus landed and kneeled.

Ebony had to admit that maneuver was spectacular, but she didn't let their teamwork break her focus. She fired another shot from her scabbard and Violet rolled away again. She dashed to her enemy in the middle of her roll and attacked with her sword and struck Violet's leg, lowering her aura even more. This was a nice, clean blow, but her satisfaction was fleeting as Violet took hold of Ebony's sword arm, gripping it like a vice. The Charming Vantablack felt her teeth clack as she was hit with a strong uppercut.

That was one of the first clean hits Violet has ever gotten on Ebony and it felt so good. She had no idea if the Vantablack was smirking, but she hoped she literally smacked it off her face. " _Can't fight properly when I'm this close, can you?"_

She attacked again with a knee to Ebony's side, but she wasn't lucky enough to get a second strike. Just like her bout with her cousin, Violet's knee was countered by Ebony's knee. This quick action proved Ebony trains with Zinnia. It would be problematic if they worked together, but she doubted they could stop them from doing so. Even on their own, Violet had a hard time fighting either of them and didn't want to think about their combined strength.

" _Ebony Vantablack and Zinnia Underland. You guys are the strongest opponents I've ever faced,"_ Violet thought, being truthful to herself.

With her arm holding Ebony's and her knee blocked, both women had no choice but to back away, however, Ebony aimed her scabbard at Violet and fired. The shot hit her stomach and the force made her want to vomit. The shots from the scabbard were stronger than she remembered. Why the blast was powerful didn't matter now that her aura was low.

Knowing the battle on the pillar was going to be close quarters, Ebony changed her scabbard from rifle mode to shotgun mode. It made close combat easier and increased her mobility. She pointed her gun at the ground behind her and fired, propelling herself to Violet and clashed her sword with Violet's kukri.

Violet needed to work together with Remus to win, but holding her own against Ebony took all her concentration. There was hardly a moment she could take her eyes of the Charming Vantablack. If she tried to go to Remus's side, Ebony would have an opening and attack and he was in the same situation with Zinnia. The best she could do was be patient and wait.

Remus landed on the ground and fell to one knee. Zinnia wasted no time and lunged for him with her wrist blade as she activated Armament to extend the length. When she got close, Zinnia saw Remus move quickly and felt her arm shook then he was free. How? The blade of her whip-sword felt loose and she got a better look at the situation. Violet's kukri. One of the knives thrown when they first arrived was one of her kukris. Was it where he landed? Did he use it to loosen the grip it had on him? How far ahead did he and Violet think? Zinnia was given no time to think as she was still lunging from her attack and Remus dodged by pivoting away and gaining momentum. He leaped into the air with both Delta and kukri cloaked in hard light in his hands. He brought them down and the combined force shattered Zinnia's wrist blade into nothing but shards along with the aura cloaking it.

Aura destroyed in Armaments was lost. It was no different than attacking her directly. This happened several times when she started training in Atlas, but she refined Armaments to the point it could withstand most attacks. It's been years since anything has broken through her semblance.

Remus was still on the ground with both blades in hand. As he stood, Zinnia backed away but didn't do so out of fear or worry. She already planned her next move; to strike when your opponent has claimed victory. Her whip sword was no longer binding him but it was still lying on the ground around him. With a quick flick of her wrist, she activated Armaments to cloak her weapon and retracted it, striking Remus's wrist, the one holding Delta. He lost hold of his weapon and Zinnia had her blade wrap around it as she returned to its normal shape while Delta soared above her until it landed in her left hand. Then activated Armaments again, cloaking Delta in her aura and extending its reach.

It was incredibly cool, but Remus felt his heart sink, realizing the situation only got worse. He didn't feel prepared for the next boss phase. He still had the kukri, so he had to make do, though seeing an enemy wield Delta irked him, but he kept his feelings under wraps, especially when Armaments made it look so cool.

Violet and Ebony witnessed what happened to their teammates' battle while they fought. Watching Remus stagger Zinnia did throw Ebony off and it made her pause, giving Violet a chance to back up. Remus did the same and they were back to back, facing their opponents.

"Having fun?" Violet said in humor then recognized what she did. Making light of something on a mission must have meant she was reaching the end of her rope. This really was her toughest fight yet.

"Would it be bad if I said yes?" Remus asked honestly. He enjoyed battling to his core and couldn't deny that part of himself. It was his Cobalt heritage. Even in this dire situation, he couldn't help but smile.

"I won't hold it against you, Rey-Rey," Violet caught herself calling him that and realized she was really losing her mind. Heat rose to her face and prayed Ebony and Zinnia didn't notice her blush.

"Awww, you blushing Vi?" Ebony teased.

" _Dammit!"_

"I love you too, but this will be the end of our story," Ebony said with her scabbard shotgun aimed at them.

Meanwhile, Remus watched Zinnia swing her whip-sword at him with the extended length from Armaments. He knew the regular length would reach him, so he realized her true intent. Remus tugged on Violet's arm. Both of them ducked when the extended blade came their way. The tip of the blade reached Ebony, swiping by only two inches away from her face. The Charming Vantablack remained undaunted when the sharp blade came her way.

Violet reached for three Enigmas as she ducked then threw them in Ebony's direction. They landed in front of her and the earth dust within them erupted, erecting a wall of stone that created a divide between Ebony and the others. This was a desperate ploy and lasted three seconds. Ebony used her shotgun to penetrate and shatter the wall into rubble, but what she didn't expect was a change on the other side. Instead of Violet, she was surprised to see Remus coming at her and Violet turned to face her cousin.

As Remus passed by Violet and made sure to hand her other kukri to her, knowing she needed everything in her arsenal to face the Paragon. Fighting Ebony with no weapon was beyond foolish, but he felt confident enough in his combat skills to hold his own.

Violet had both her kukris imbued with hard light dust and she entered her cousin's space to do battle. She attacked with both knives aimed at Zinnia's sides but her attacks failed as Zinnia blocked with her whip-sword and Delta, both bathed in her aura from Armaments. Her attempt ended in failure as Zinnia back-flipped away while landing a kick to Violet's jaw, making her take a few steps back and giving Zinnia time to strike. She shot out the blade of her whip-sword and Violet rolled out of the way just by a hair. She rolled to her right but already found Zinnia there with Delta. Violet saw the sword coming and protected herself by bringing up one of her knives, blocking the overhead swing and lifting Zinnia's arm up. It gave her the chance to land a punch to her cousin's face with her other hand. A punch was faster than striking with her kukri. Violet prepared for another blow but felt her body being cut as the segmented blade of the whip-sword dragged across her left side of her abdomen, returning to its original form while hurting her aura in the process.

Staggered, Violet watched as Zinnia moved in the blink of an eye with both weapons ready to be swung together. In such close quarters, the only thing she could do to defend herself changed the shape of the hard light dust, reshaping the light around the kukri in her right hand into a small buckle shield. Zinnia's attack struck the shield but Violet still felt the force of the attack as it sent her flying upward. She landed on her feet and she gauged they were at least fifteen feet apart from each other.

" _Damn. There's just no way around it, huh?"_ Violet thought as she looked at Zinnia. " _The Paragon, there's no other name that suits you… You really are the best... better than me, at least,"_ Violet held both kukris in her left hand, wielding them beside each other and fusing the light dust together to form a greatsword. She placed her other hand in her bag and dashed to Zinnia.

She threw four Enigmas in her right hand and Zinnia countered with her whip-sword, extending the blade and using it as a shield to deflect the knives. The first two knives hit the blade and instead of being deflected, they exploded into clusters of ice wrapped around the blade. The next pair of knives came and Zinnia grabbed her blade and pulled it to herself by hand, bringing the rest of the blade her way to deflect the last two Enigmas and it did. The knives flew to her sides and they exploded in fire, covering the area around Zinnia with dust and smoke. The Paragon understood it was a smokescreen for some other ploy and didn't let it distract her.

Remus ran circles around Ebony who observed him with stern eyes. His movements were odd to her. Dashing around, but not making a single step forward. He seemed to have no desire to attack her...

"No, Remus isn't trying to avoid attacking me… he wants to avoid getting hit...from me?" Ebony wasn't sure what this meant at first, but her intelligence and perception were sharp enough to figure it out. "You're-"

She changed her scabbard shotgun to its rifle form and aimed at Remus's location, but it was futile as the bullet would be too slow to reach him. The Blue Flicker kept moving to avoid getting hit. He had no other choice if they were going to win. Even if she couldn't stop him, Ebony guessed there was something else she could do.

Zinnia waited patiently within the smokescreen for Violet to make her next attack. The Paragon planned to end it with one final blow. " _Alyssa...no, Violet. You are incredible. I don't think anyone else has given such a hard time,"_ Zinnia noticed a shadow moving through the smoke and it was accompanied by a bright light. Violet's weapon gave away her position, but Zinnia doubted she was relying on stealth for this attack. Her movements were predictable just like the next attack she'd use. Zinnia knew she could counter it and end it. " _But you won't win,"_

Brandishing Delta, Zinnia waited for the right moment to strike her cousin down. She found Violet who finally came through the smoke with her kukris together and hard light as a large sword. It wasn't enough. Zinnia knew she would win. She swung Delta to counter and follow up with another blow, but none of that happened. All of a sudden, her arm felt heavy and it pulled her away from Violet. She turned to see what was happening to find Remus holding her hand and tugging her toward him. Violet was overhead of them both with her blade ready.

Checkpoint: Round Robin was an extremely useful ability. Not only did Remus learn he could use it by pouring his aura into other people, but with objects as well. Switching places with his sword wasn't a move anyone expected, especially Zinnia.

"Zinnia, you're better than me. If this was one-on-one, there's no argument I would've lost. But this battle is more than the two of us and I don't fight alone," Violet thought to herself, tempering her resolve for the final blow.

Many things happened in the span of a few seconds. Zinnia's aura was ripped apart with Violet's attack. Violet watched her cousin get slashed from shoulder to waist by her hard light dust. She also saw Remus beside Zinnia, but his face was warped with pain. Getting a better look at him as she landed on the ground, his left side was bleeding from a gash just below his ribs. The weapon that did it flew by him and was falling from the pillar. It was Delta. He took one step back and his foot found no ground. Still holding onto Zinnia's hand, he fell backward with her. Both were falling from the pillar.

As she landed, Violet immediately stepped forward to grab him, but gunfire went off and Violet fell to her knees as she felt the back of her right leg get hit. There was nothing she could do as she watched Remus fall from her sight. A deep dark pit in her stomach was born.

"I knew you two had something planned. Looks like I made the right call," an all too familiar voice said. Delta came flying from somewhere. Violet was finally able to get back up on her feet and turned to find the cause and reason for this battle, Ebony Vantablack.

She said nothing as she put one of her kukris back in her empty hand. She deactivated the hard light dust and stared the Charming Vantablack down. Ebony could see it. Violet's will was shown through her, swimming about like a raging tempest. How long had this battle persisted? Such a fight left Ebony with no concept of time. It didn't matter to her. Whether the battle was reaching its climax didn't change one fact; the real battle began now.

Violet and Ebony could feel their hearts race. Both were fighting for different reasons. Ebony who wished to immortalize herself in Remnant's history and Violet fought for the safety of those she cherished. Another thing Violet fought for was Clair, remembering how she wanted to deal with Ebony.

" _If worst comes to worst… I want you to-"_

"Seems the final chapter of our story is here and the ones who'll write it have come down to the two of us. The winner becomes the hero and the loser will be the villain. After all, history is written by the winner." Ebony wielded Trois Reines in sword form with the scabbard rifle changed to shotgun mode.

Violet regripped her hold on Cheshire's Enigmas, holding both kukris and getting into her fighting stance. "I don't care about your need to write history, but you're right about one thing. This is our final chapter. This will be the end."

The Scarred Flower and the Charming Vantablack were ready to bring their long fated battle to a close.


	66. VRSZ Ebony: One Way or Another, It Ends

**A/N: Happy Belated Birthday, Remus! I'm sorry you almost got sliced open last chapter. Not even the power of birthdays saves from this series. Can't believe the VRSZ story is coming to an end. How many chapters are left you ask? How many necessary for me to finish this properly. I also can't believe this all started four years ago. Does time fly or what?**

* * *

 **Setting: Marble Valley**

A piercing pain rang through his body as it limply plummeted to the ground. To be sliced open by your own blade was a bit of an embarrassment in Remus's eyes. His last moments were gazing into Violet's eyes, viewing her stunning face as she collapsed and reached her hand out, failing to close the great distance between them. Now all he saw was the vast blue sky and the rocky spires as he fell further and further to the ground.

" _Is this it?"_ he wondered. With no aura or teammates left to help him, there was nothing he could do. Even as a little strength came to his body and he was able to ball his fist, there was nothing he could-

His body crashed into something solid. He closed his eyes when it happened and was surprised to feel the wind against his face. He didn't feel the cold flat surface on the ground, but the warmth of another body. Opening his eyes, he found he had not touched the ground but was soaring through the air and an arm was holding him, wrapped around his chest. Remus glanced up to learn his savior was Zinnia Underland.

The Paragon held the Cobalt tight while she kept a tight grip on her whip-sword as she used it to swing from a nearby spire. She kept extending the blade until they got low enough to safely land on the ground and they did. She carefully laid her passenger on the ground and she stood beside him. Zinnia was given a moment to catch her breath but was caught off guard by the unexpected.

"Why did you save me?" Remus asked her this out of need. Why would an enemy save his life after all the bad history between them?

His question wasn't something she could properly answer. They've battled and seen each other as enemies for so long with no opportunity to prove otherwise. This was felt by her and she believed it was mutual for VRSZ. After all, he and her cousin just bested her. She was defeated by them only a few seconds ago and Remus, by no fault of his own, dragged her down to fall with him. Even though she knew that all Zinnia saw when she looked to him was someone in need and her instincts did the rest.

"...I guess I was just doing what I always told myself to do; help people in need," she said, sounding more sure of herself at the end than when she started. It was her dream to help others and being with Ebony hasn't changed it. If anything, they made each other better. "As long as we accomplish our goal, she won't be upset if I don't kill you. She'd actually preferred if you guys stayed alive. She likes… boy toys…" Even saying the word made her feel uncomfortable.

Remus was badly hurt and made sure he moved his body slowly and carefully so he could sit down. He leaned on his uninjured side to avoid any more pain and observed Zinnia. Her eyes were set on the spire where her best friend and her cousin were doing battle. It didn't seem like she intended to continue fighting him. She was putting her faith in Ebony and Remus did the same for Violet.

The outcome of the entire fight rested on Violet and Ebony's shoulders.

Atop the spire, the last two combatants to this epic battle stared each other down. Violet Tulipe and Ebony Vantablack. The Scarred Flower and the Charming Vantablack. The showdown between them began and ended here.

Violet rushed to Ebony with her kukris with the clear intent to attack. Her weapons were cloaked in hard light dust to give her blades more reach and create a better defense for herself. As she advanced forward, she noticed Ebony raising her scabbard to fire, and Violet reacted by leaping above and over her opponent's head. During that motion, she placed both weapons in one hand and reached into her bag with the other, pulling out three throwing knives. Even in the middle of performing this tactic, Violet was aware Ebony knew what she was doing and probably thought of a way to counter her.

Every encounter they had so far proved this to be true. The difference between Ebony's tactical victories over her was vast. All of their time together was manipulated by Ebony to a degree she wasn't sure of. It was nearly impossible not to compare her to Clair. If Zinnia was superior to her in combat, then she considered Ebony to be superior to her in intelligence.

Her opponent leaped over her and pulled out more knives. Diversions, misdirection, and sleight of hand were tactics Ebony recognized as Violet's favorites. She used these to leave her foes open so she could crush them with merciless force. She was a difficult opponent to get the better of, but Ebony wasn't a pushover either. She trained to be a Huntress when she was younger and kept training despite choosing a different path. If she could give Zinnia a run for her money, then she could definitely go toe-to-toe with Violet.

Ebony dashed back, avoiding the Enigmas thrown and moving just a few feet in front Violets' landing spot. The knives that struck the ground released surges of electricity that spread through the area. A move like that couldn't be blocked or countered. It had to be avoided and Ebony was glad her intuition didn't fail her. She was in position as Violet landed in front of her with her back to her, so Ebony struck with her sword, but her blade was blocked by hard light. The dust around her blade expanded and formed a shield to protect her backside. Victory was not going to be achieved easily for either of them.

A swift pivot of her foot helped Violet turn to Ebony and strike. She thrust with the kukri still in blade form while the other reshaped back to a sword. Ebony lifted her sword and angled it so both blades clashed then swung her sword arm to shove Violet away and strike her sword was met with the other kukri that diverted the blow from its target. Neither of them was making this easy.

A flurry of blades flashed and sparks flew as the two fighters battled each other. Every step and attack was fluid and intentional. There were no wasted moves and no one seemed to waver. The battle was a near stalemate as they pressured each other further and further. Not only weapons, but emotions were thrown into the duel as well. Ebony's were filled with ambition while laced with fear and anxiety. Her goal was so close, but one false step could take it away from her forever. Violet would be lying to herself if she said she didn't feel anger toward Ebony. The passing of time failed to change those feelings. As their battle continued, Violet felt a complex combination of love and rage. Love for the ones she fights for and rage toward her adversary.

The intensity of the battle was felt by Remus and Zinnia from below. As they watched, Alexandrite finally came to, opening her eyes and grasping her head, feeling a raging headache. She lifted herself up and scanned the area to understand what was going on. She caught Remus and Zinnia standing side by side. "Are we done fighting?..." she asked herself, rising to her feet. She started approaching them to get her answer but halted when she felt the presence of something else. Something inhuman. The battle wasn't felt just by their comrades.

A strong upward strike from Violet hit Ebony's scabbard and the force behind the hit knocked it out of her hands. It fell near the edge of the pillar which was far out of Ebony's reach. The Charming Vantablack was caught off-balance and took two steps back, allowing Violet to attack again. She pressed on with both kukris to deplete her aura, but Ebony was still tenacious, still calculating. She extended Trois Reines from sword to spear and used the polearm to block both knives. She held her spear to withstand Violet's attack then turned it in a diagonal fashion with the spearhead at the ground. The position she needed. She kicked the lowered part of her weapon at Violet.

The sudden move caught her off guard. Violet was too focused on overpowering Ebony to escape. She was slashed across her body. Now, it was her turn to fall back, but something was different. She felt lighter. As she retreated, Violet found her bag full of throwing knives on the ground in front of Ebony who swatted it away with her spear. Attacking and disarming in one motion was impressive. She did the same thing moments ago. It felt strange to Violet and she wondered if Ebony felt it as well. It was almost like she knew what Ebony was going to do next and how to respond. An odd synergy was forming between them in this battle.

Violet jumped back and raced to Ebony then sidestepped out of sight. She danced to Ebony's blindspot but the Charming Vantablack kept pace and turned her head to her. Violet stepped away again as she got closer and was behind her enemy. She had her knives aimed at Ebony's back. Her opponent turned and performed a sweeping motion with Trois Reines to strike and knock her away, but Violet knew she was going to do that. She lowered her body and pivoted her foot in one motion, avoiding the spear and getting to Ebony's right side. She jumped up and brought both her knives down to strike while there was an opening.

It was as she thought. Violet was figuring out Ebony's moves before she could do them. She was comprehending how to best fight her, but it was also true for the other party. Ebony figured out everything Violet was going to do and how to fight back. She swung her spear with one hand to move Violet then quickly brought it back up with a flick of the wrist. She raised the polearm over her head and blocked both knives then pushed Violet to the side then followed up with a thrust. Violet landed on her feet and parried the spearhead to avoid further injury.

She was right about getting a good feel of Ebony's fighting. The longer the battle persisted, the better understanding they had of one another. This needed to end before too much was revealed. But how? She was given no time to think of an answer as Ebony advanced on her, charging with her spearhead aimed at her chest. Violet stepped to the right to avoid it then realized a barrage of thrusts were coming up next. She bobbed and weaved from each blow but some grazed her, gradually cutting down what was left of her aura. She formed a shield from the hard light dust and blocked each attack, but Ebony kept applying the pressure, refusing to give up her offensive front.

Eventually, the hard light began to crack from the relentless assault, shocking Violet, but it gave Ebony the push to keep pushing. Such rapid strikes made it nearly impossible for her to release her shield without getting hit. How was she supposed to-

The shield was penetrated.

One final thrust destroyed the hard light dust, breaking through it and slashing Violet's right shoulder as it flew by her head. She felt it. Pain. Her aura was gone with that attack. Clenching her teeth in agony, Violet fell to the ground and Ebony stopped her assault. The Charming Vantablack watched her opponent wearily, waiting to see what she'd do. Either she won and her dream was achieved or the battle was far from over and she'd have to kill Violet.

"What happens next depends on you," Ebony told her as she returned to her fighting stance.

Violet got on her knees, breathing haggardly and feeling the stream of blood fall from her shoulder. No more protection. No more semblance, not that she planned on using it. She had a good feeling Ebony wouldn't fall for tricks like that so easily. Still, there had to be-

"I'd surrender if I were you," Ebony said, activating Charm to influence Violet's decision. She won. The battle was over and her desire was realized as long as Violet stayed down. If she had her way, Violet would accept defeat and all of Vacuo would know of her achievement, but life never works out how you plan it.

Charm was a dangerous semblance, especially to those who didn't know about it. Violet listened to her words but kept the fact she could use Charm in her mind. Not once did she forget about Charm, knowing falling for it anytime during the battle would be her end. Ebony's semblance failed to persuade her, but did Ebony know that? If not, then there might be a chance. She lowered her head in defeat and released her hold on her kukris.

She watched Violet bow in defeat and loosen her hold on her weapons. Ebony saw her adversary submit, but something felt off. Like Violet thought, Ebony felt a weird synergy between them like they understood how the other felt and thought. This understanding helped Ebony figure out Violet was not under the influence of Charm. She was planning something, but what? It didn't matter. This fight wasn't over yet. "That's your answer, huh?"

Violet threw one of her kukris at Ebony who deflected it with her spear, sending the blade spinning above her. She followed through with a thrust to finish Violet off, but the Scarred Flower diverted the spearhead with her other knife, protecting herself while the spear landed into the rocky floor beside her. Fighting through the pain in her right shoulder, Violet leaped into the air with her arm stretched out for the kukri in the air. She grabbed it and forced it down at wasn't enough time for her to raise her spear and parry with it, so Ebony resorted to a simple dodge. She took one step to her right and swung her body to avoid the knife as it sliced into the ground. As she did, Ebony noticed Violet coming down with her other kukri in hand. She was ready to bring it down and Ebony had to block it. She got herself in position, but her legs faltered. Ebony slipped.

Ice. It covered the ground beneath Ebony's feet with her kukri at the center. It made her slip and lose her balance. She wasn't prepared to block or evade. A flash of bright metal and Violet brought her kukri down, slashing Ebony from shoulder to leg, ripping through the last of her aura. When Violet landed, she did so on all fours then turned away from her opponent while lifting her leg, delivering one final kick to Ebony's jaw. An uppercut kick collided with her chin and Ebony felt like all of her teeth were knocked out. Thankfully they weren't, but it didn't make it hurt any less. The kick lifted her several feet off the ground and knocked her away before she landed on the ground. The harsh pain of landing on stone proved her aura was gone and she was still alive, but for how long?

It was hard for the Charming Vantablack to discern her surroundings due to her blurred vision. All she could tell was that she was lying on her back and someone was looming over her. It didn't take a genius to figure who it was. Violet stood over Ebony with both her blades.

" _So, my story ends here…"_ Ebony thought to herself. She could feel her whole body tremble in fear, but it wasn't the fear of death that frightened her. What scared her most was being forgotten. She failed to leave her mark on Remnant and it was all going to end today. She didn't do enough to even be a footnote in Vacuo's history.

"It took Clair a lot of resolves to figure out how to deal with you. After all the things you've done, she was at her wit's end. In the end, Clair decided it was best for everyone if you died," Violet told Ebony in a calm voice. A logical conclusion in Ebony's mind.

"I was hoping to spare her the trouble by dealing with you myself. Your blood on my hands instead of hers. I thought that was a fair trade. A reasonable sacrifice." Violet knelt down and brought her knife to Ebony's throat.

Ebony said nothing and closed her eyes. She waited for her throat to be sliced open, for blood to spill, and her last breath to escape her lips. Instead, she heard Violet keep talking. How long was this monologue going to continue? If she planned on killing her with boredom, it was effective.

"I killed my family before, or at least I was close to it. I hated each and every one of them and killing them crossed my mind more than once. When my father died before my eyes, I thought I would feel better, but all it did was leave a disgusting pit in my stomach. No matter what happened between us, he was my father and I was going to kill him. Even if a heart attack saved me from doing it, the intent was still there…" Violet looked to the sky, reminiscing about that moment. She did her best to avoid doing that because it repulsed her how she acted back then. Regardless of her actions, she was no different than the rest of her family. "...and I have to live with that for the rest of my life."

Ebony peeked to the corner of her eyes to get a good look at Violet. She knew this story already. She was there and most likely the reason Violet intended to kill her father, so why was she talking about this?

"Clair intended to let you die. To kill you… but I know what that does to a person and I won't let her go through that," Violet stated as she pilfered through Ebony's pockets then pulled out her scroll.

"What are you-" Ebony asked but she was interrupted.

"I don't like you. Not one bit, but killing you will make Clair miserable. For her sake, I'm defying her orders. I'm not going to kill you and I'll dissuade Clair from killing you when I take you to her. After that, do whatever the hell you want, but stay away from all of us."

Yeah, she hated this. Violet never liked Ebony no matter how many times they engaged each other. Whether she lived or died had little weight on Violet's conscience, but keeping her alive meant Clair's psyche would remain intact and undamaged. This was the best choice for her best friend.

When Violet made up her mind, she looked down at Ebony who stared at her in confusion. If their roles were reversed, Violet would look the same. It was so unlike her to show this kind of compassion for an enemy. She didn't do this for her father or Grayson, but this was… no. It had to be different.

Violet gently placed her hand beneath Ebony's back and helped her sit up. The Charming Vantablack kept that flabbergasted expression and it made Violet roll her eyes. " _All she got was a kick to the chin while my shoulder's cut open. Quit being a bitch,"_ Despite being kind in gesture, she still didn't like Ebony. She had to keep chanting this was all for Clair in her mind in order to continue.

"I told you. One way or another, this was going to end."

All Violet got in response was scoff. Ebony shook her head in disbelief, but she couldn't hide how she really felt from Violet. The Scarred Flower noticed the smallest hint of a grin on the Charming Vantablack's face. In victory or defeat, Violet found her irritating, but she was glad it was finally-

A loud, monstrous roar resonated throughout the valley. It rattled the bones of both women who held concerned expressions. Whatever that noise was, it was close. Too close.

Violet and Ebony were close to the pillar's edge so they leaned over to find the source of the shriek. They found it, located among their injured comrades. A large Grimm the likes of which Violet has never seen. Ebony knew what it was. It was the last Grimm on her kill list and a potential trump card in this fight if things went south, but now it was a wildcard that aided no one. Their problems were far from over.

The synergy from their battle must've still existed between the two because they said the same thing at the same time as they watched the Grimm attack their injured and exhausted friends.

"Fuck."

* * *

 **Hard Light dust is the fourth dust used with Violet's kukris and will stay. She appreciates its versatility and helps her become even more versatile. The dust in her kukris' four slots is fire, ice, gravity, and hard light.**

 **Zinnia's Armaments is one of my favorite semblances because it allows her to transform virtually anything she touches into a weapon. She tried this before when she was younger with random objects. Using it with a pen or a pencil made them more like javelins she could throw. One time she tossed on at a wall and punctured a hole. Aura wrapped around rocks and pebbles grew in size, making them cannonballs of aura, but objects she is no longer in contact with will lose the aura surrounding them in a few seconds.**


	67. The Eyes of True Evil

**Setting: Marble Valley**

Ebony's plan was to regain favor and recognition with the people by eliminating Grimm that has caused problems in Vacuo for months or years. This was also meant to garner the attention of Team VRSZ and lure them into a battle. So far, her plan has been a success, but there was one thing that wasn't fulfilled. Ebony's group eliminated every Grimm on their list except for one. She was fully aware and brought the battle here to lure it out during the battle and use it as an advantage against VRSZ, however, it came after the battle was over. The creatures of Grimm were fickle.

It flew onto the scene ominously while Violet and Ebony were engaged in battle, hovering over a ridge and floating until it was above everyone. Slowly descending to the ground only to hover over it by five feet. Remus, Zinnia, and Alexandrite were the only ones conscious to witness and observe it.

This Grimm was around twelve feet tall and a perfect, black sphere. There was...nothing else. It was just a large, floating ball. There were no other distinctive features or characteristics.

"Um…" Remus wasn't even sure what he was looking at. "What is-"

The lower half of the sphere split apart, revealing a row of large, sharp teeth. The mouth opened widely and released a bellow that injured the ears of those in the vicinity. Zinnia and Remus were forced to cover their ears while Alexandrite endured it but regretted not protecting herself. She heard nothing but a high-pitched sound after the roar. The high frequency of the roar was able to shatter the ice surrounding Brenton's legs. As it crumbled, he fell onto the ground and that seemed to stir him.

This Grimm was loud, but Grimm was still Grimm in Zinnia's eyes. With no aura to protect her, she used her whip-sword to strike from a distance. The segmented blade reached its target and cut the Grimm on the side, but it failed to respond or maybe it ignored her. It was hard for her to tell what it was expressing, but a hit was a hit and she swung again for another blow. As the blade came, the Grimm reacted in an unexpected way. Spawning from its body was a black tendril that shot out and wrapped itself around the blade, catching it before it could land the second hit and yanking it forward to hurl Zinnia over. She was caught off guard by this action and was pulled in by the Grimm, however, she failed to be stunned for long. Zinnia aimed her wrist gauntlet at the creature. Though the blade was broken, she could still use its barrel to fire upon her enemy.

She fired two rounds of bolts filled with fire dust. The two shots jettisoned to the Grimm before she could and she was betting on her surprise attack to succeed. Two more tendrils emerged from its body and they stood in between it and the burning bolts. They blocked both blasts which exploded on contact, covering the Grimm in a black smokescreen. It didn't release its grip on Zinnia's sword as it pulled her into its space within the fog. Her blade was still in the creature's grasp, leaving her no means to attack in close quarters. As she landed on the ground, she immediately felt something slam against her stomach. Another tendril struck her and sent her flying out of the smoke.

Zinnia rolled roughly on the ground, feeling every scrape and bump before stopping. Once it was over, she could still feel the stinging pain coursing through her body. It took her a moment to realize the breath was blown out of her attack from before was strong but especially painful with no aura to protect herself. She needed to be careful in this battle, but she was also perplexed with the enemy. How did it find her so quickly in the smokescreen? Her answer was given when the smoke cleared.

The Grimm came into view once the smokescreen finally dispersed and she could see it. Remus and Alexandrite could see it too. The Grimm had an eye. One big eye in the center of its body that took up most of what they now considered its face. A large, red eye that was focused solely on Zinnia who thought it looked disgusting.

Her body seized up as she held back the nauseating urge to vomit at the massive red eye. She began to notice the tendrils on its body. All three of them bulged at the tip then smaller red eyes open at the end of each one. Two of them looked at her while the third idly scanned its surroundings. It made Zinnia wonder what else was going to come popping out of its body, but her thought was cut off when she noticed Alexandrite approaching the Grimm from behind.

The fear of having no aura never crossed Alexandrite's mind and she jumped at the Grimm from behind with her halberd ready to skewer it. Her sneak attack would have worked if one of the stalks wasn't already watching her. One more tendril emerged from the Grimm's body to lash at Alexandrite, but she intercepted it by reaching out with her free hand and grabbing it, holding onto it with an iron grip. She yanked it to her side while holding it so she could attack without worry until another one came her way. It was no concern to the Bedazzled Behemoth who was ready to block with her polearm except this one was different. An eye didn't open up at the stalk. The tip of the tendril grew larger and larger until it took shape as…. another Grimm. Lunging for Alexandrite was a tendril in the shape of a Beowulf. It looked just like the Grimm without the bone plating and markings. It acted like one as it swiped its claws at Alexandrite who felt the claws scrape against her body before knocking her away. As she landed on the ground, the Beowulf copy did as well but it shrank back into a tendril. Shaping parts of its body into the form of other Grimm. This was beyond the scope of anything they've seen these monsters do before.

What kind of Grimm were they dealing with?

Watching Zinnia and Alexandrite face this thing was too much for Remus to bear. He wasn't defeated. He could fight too. That train of thought wavered just as Remus did when he attempted to stand. The bloody wound on his side screamed out and the pain was too much to bear. He was brought down to kneel again. Moving meant unbearable pain. Even if he could help, he was aware he'd only be a liability with his crippled mobility and if he got hit, his wound could get worse and be fatal. He had to stay away, but that didn't mean he couldn't fight. Remus looked around for Delta. It had to have fallen somewhere nearby.

Alexandrite refused to lose her momentum and pressed on to attack. The Grimm still had one eye on her and shaped one of its tendrils into another Grimm. This time it was a Beringel. The massive ape was above her and it swung its arms over its head before bringing them down with all its might. Alexandrite raised her weapon and blocked the blow, feeling the tremendous force behind it and recognizing its strength. The fake was as strong as the real thing, but it didn't matter to Alexandrite. She battled Beringels and overpowered them before. She pushed the fake back after withstanding its attack then quickly slashed its body, leaving a gaping, diagonal gash. The fake Beringel stopped moving and began to shrink erratically until its shape retreated back into the main Grimm.

Even though she vanquished the Beringel fake, the original Grimm didn't seem injured or irritated. Zinnia surmised defeating the appendage didn't harm the Grimm, meaning this battle could be prolonged and maybe get bloody. It was going to take more than Alexandrite and herself to kill this Grimm. But who else was left? The fighting drained all of them of their aura and strength.

The Grimm opened its mouth and unleashed a horrible shriek and resonated everywhere. Why it did so no was unknown. To Zinnia, it was like the Grimm was answering her question.

 _You won't survive._

She didn't know how to respond to its scream. Not many people would know what to do if Grimm ever communicated with them. Thankfully the perfect rebuttal came. In the form of flames. A wave of fire came into her view and consumed the battlefield, specifically the Grimm. It was engulfed by the flames that filled the area. Only one person could do something of this magnitude.

"Are you kidding me? Is the fighting ever gonna stop?" Brenton walked onto the scene with Oathburner in hand and smoke surrounding the large blade. Being able to walk was nice, but it wasn't easy. His stride was irregular as the pain from battle lingered. In no better shape than anyone else, but he was ready to fight just like them.

He watched the fire that struck the Grimm. They were still there and the obscured form of the monster remained in them. "Burn…" he told the Grimm as he walked to Zinnia's side. "Care to tell me about our situation?"

She was going to tell him everything that happened up till now, but it made her realize Ebony was still on the pillar. No sounds were coming from the top, but it was too high for her to actually hear what was going on. With the situation, this dire, Zinnia needed to recover Ebony to decide their next course of action. "Can you stay alive while I retrieve Ebony?" she asked her comrade. She genuinely wanted to know Brenton could handle himself for a minute or two, fearing of putting his life in danger if she went away.

"Go on. I can hold my own," he told her in confidence. He felt the need to assert his strength now that Alexandrite was fighting. Usurping her throne over Corona meant he couldn't look weak around her. It was his desire to abolish the 'might makes right' mentality from his people, but this was more of a matter of pride. He kept his eyes on the fire while he heard Zinnia extend her whip-sword and leap away.

As if to taunt him, the flames around the Grimm dispersed. They were blown away by the Grimm who didn't seem too damaged by the fire, but it did look different than it did before. The orb-shaped Grimm had a dozen tendrils around its body. Six of them had eyes on the end while the others had nothing. All of its eyes except one were set on Brenton and the other was on Alexandrite. It kept a mark on all potential threats, displaying its intelligence and awareness.

Brenton wasted no time and he pulled the trigger of Oathburner, releasing more flames. The large torrent of fire hurdled toward the Grimm who placed another tendril in front of itself. It shaped into a Nevermore, but it wasn't as big as the average Grimm. It was large enough to act as a shield for the Grimm as it took all the incoming fire for its master.

Alexandrite found her moment to strike, or so she thought. As the Grimm defended itself from Brenton's attack, it also used two other tendrils to form more Grimm. Two Beringels stood together with their arms out. Alexandrite swung her lance and they caught it. She let go of her weapon and attacked with her fists, punching one of the apes in the throat and making a hole there. Fatal to nearly anything else, this Grimm wasn't killed but reverted back into a tentacle. The remaining Grimm used the halberd as it owned it, slamming the spearhead at Alexandrite, but she avoided it by taking a step forward and getting into the enemy's space. She tackled into the large gorilla and lifted it off its feet. She threw it at the main body Grimm that was still waiting for the fire to die out. It wasn't facing her, but an eyestalk was still on her and the Beringel returned to a tendril before anything could happen. Alexandrite's halberd fell to the ground as three tentacles whipped out at Alexandrite, striking her multiple times and battering her with bruises before wrapping around her body. Her joints were wrapped and tightened to prevent her from escaping.

She couldn't get free. No matter how she struggled, it was a fruitless effort. Alexandrite was bound in the air until she felt herself being lifted higher than brought down to the ground violently. Her back smashed against the rocky floor and she gritted her teeth to withstand the pain, but she soon realized the Grimm wasn't done with her. Again and again, the Grimm slammed Alexandrite into the ground as its Nevermore shield took the last of Brenton's flames.

When they died out, he saw what it was doing to Alexandrite and hastily rushed in to help her. She was in tremendous pain after the fifth slam. Her body was going limp in the Grimm's tendrils and it was difficult to remain conscious after such a beating. While painful, it felt good to Alexandrite. All she ever wanted was to be a warrior. Not a Huntress or a hero, but a warrior. Dying in battle was the death she preferred. If this was her end then so be it. She kept her eyes open for as long as she could, wanting to be aware and awake for her end.

Brenton jumped into the air to strike the Grimm but all of its eyes were on him. A counterattack was coming, but he didn't care as long as he stopped it from hurting Alexandrite any further. The Grimm had her raised up while looking at him tauntingly. This Grimm had a personality. A sick one.

Brenton felt the Grimm was trying to tell him he was too late as he brought Alexandrite down again. He was close but too far away to stop it. Their past relationship didn't matter. Brenton hated the thought of someone dying when he could've saved them. Everything happened slowly through Brenton's perspective. Alexandrite was being sent to the ground and the Grimm kept all of its eyes on Brenton as he watched. He dashed forward to stop this but knew he wasn't going to make it. Still, he had to do something. Then the sound of something went off and the Grimm winced in shock and pain. With Brenton's tunnel vision on Alexandrite, he didn't see what happened. More of those sounds went off and the Grimm made sounds of irritation. It eventually released Alexandrite and she fell to the ground in a less harsh manner than she did before. At least she was safe.

With her life no longer in danger, Brenton could focus on the offensive and see what made the Grimm stop. He turned and found it being harassed by a barrage of bolts striking its side. He looked further to find Remus firing shot after shot with Delta in blaster rifle mode.

He found his weapon. It landed pretty far away, but not too far he could limp his way to it. The rapid-fire setting meant there was no recoil, so there was no pressure or impact on his body. This was the best he could do in order to stay in the fight, but he knew it wasn't enough. He noticed his surprise attack was no longer a surprise as the Grimm was deflecting each bolt with its tendrils, nimbly dancing around the main body. The flurry of energy bolts required all of the Grimm's tentacles to remain unharmed, leaving it defenseless against Brenton who flanked it with a burning slash, slicing into the Grimm's backside with a fiery blade. They finally got a hit on the actual body. It was a brief victory, but that's what it truly was. Brief.

The Grimm wailed. It didn't do so in pain or fear but in retaliation. As its tendrils fended off Remus's bolts, an eyestalk looked at Brenton. The pupil of the red eye vanished and the entire eye glowed red. Brenton didn't know what it meant until it was too late. A beam of red energy shot out of the eye and hit Brenton, piercing into the lower left side of his abs and the ground below him. The King of Flames felt a searing pain from the wound which was a hole in his body. Paralyzed by pain, Brenton fell backward unable to do anything else. He was down and knew he couldn't get back up.

"It hurts… I… I'm done. There's nothing else I can-"

Blood was flowing from the wound. His thoughts were interrupted by the Grimm looming over his helpless body. It finished deflecting the last of Remus's energy blasts and had three eyes aimed at Brenton. With nothing else left to give, this was the end for the King of Flames. Still, he reached for Oathburner as it laid beside him to make some semblance of a last stand before those beams ripped through his flesh. "I won't go down quietly,"

The sound of flesh rending resounded around them. More blood surrounded Brenton. The King of Flames held a wide-eyed expression. The Grimm's eyestalks were ripped open, harming the monster and preventing the beams from firing. Lying on the ground before Brenton's feet were several small blades. Knives to be exact.

"Took your sweet time retrieving her, huh?" Brenton said before passing out from blood loss.

The Grimm turned so its massive eye could find who assaulted it and it found new enemies. Zinnia returned with Ebony and Violet by her side. All three fighters were badly injured but each one of them kept a serious expression. None of them were backing down. Violet had the worst condition out of all them with the wound to her right shoulder. The wound was open and blood was dripping down her arm. She wouldn't be able to throw her Enigmas or wield her kukri properly with it. Besting Ebony took a great deal of effort and sacrifice.

"Grab Brenton while I distract it," Ebony requested Zinnia and she nodded.

Violet held more throwing knives in her left hand and about to throw them, but something peculiar happened. The Grimm was staring at each of them until its eye landed on Ebony. It looked like it was in a weird trance as it dazedly stared at the Charming Vantablack, but it was focused on something particular; her silver eyes.

It wailed, louder than it ever did before and this sounded different from all the others. The roars before were meant to be intimidating and taunting. This one sounded like the Grimm was in a frenzied state. The echoing continued and it got more guttural. It reminded them they were dealing with a true, savage monster.

Ebony watched it as it finished screaming then gazed into its huge eye, not that was hard to miss. All she saw was a big red eye until something bizarre happened. She couldn't look away. The more she stared into the eye, she felt herself looking deeper and deeper into a vortex of red. This kept going and going until she found something within the Grimm's eye. The red turned to an ominous room. It was dark and eerie. The windows showed red skies and dark valleys, but none of that took Ebony's attention like the person in the room. She saw a woman who had pale skin with black veins on her arms and face. She wore black robes and her white hair was in a strange bun, but her eyes were the most disturbing. Black and red. They were inhuman just like the rest of her, but the most terrifying thing about her was what she was doing.

This woman was staring back at Ebony like she was in the room with her. The woman raised one of her hands and reached out trying to grab Ebony's neck and it frightened her.

"Another one," this woman said in fascination.

Fear made Ebony blink and the vision vanished in a vortex. She snapped back to reality and found the Grimm heading straight for her. Its eye changed from blood red to the same black and red as that woman.

She was coming for her.

* * *

 **This Grimm is based on the Beholder from Dungeons and Dragons. The tendrils changing shape to different Grimm was my own special twist for its abilities. A giant eyeball coming after you is pretty creepy if you ask me.**


	68. What Lies in Those Eyes

**Setting: Marble Valley**

Violet, Ebony, and Zinnia rushed away from their current position as the Grimm charged into their formation. It was deceptively fast, clearing the divide between them in seconds, but no one was harmed. The Grimm immediately turned to Ebony's location and shot out three of its tendrils. Each one changed to a different Grimm: a Griffon, a Beowolf, and a small Deathstalker. All three of them pursued the silver-eyed Vantablack to overwhelm her then rip her to shreds.

It was clear to Violet and Zinnia that the Grimm was purposely targeting Ebony with ferocious intent that was different than any behavior it displayed earlier. The monster's eye changed from pure red to black with a red pupil something had to have triggered it, but Violet wasn't sure what did it. It didn't matter. Either way, they had to kill it. She held her Enigma bag in her right hand and pulled three throwing knives with her left hand. She threw the first one at the Deathstalker and it was sticking on its backside. The gravity dust in the hilt activated and created a strong gravitational pull that dragged the Beowolf and Griffon toward it, causing all three to collide into each other. Once all three were bound together, Violet threw the other two Enigmas at the tendril bodies and they exploded. The tendrils retreated back to the Grimm who finally acknowledged Violet.

Zinna leaped over her cousin and shot out her whip-sword. The tip of the blade was going for the Grimm's large eye, but a mass of tendrils wrapped around the Grimm to protect itself as the whip-sword cut into the tentacles. She refused to let it end there so Zinnia swung her hilt and the blade followed its pull then wrapped around the Grimm's body. She turned to her cousin and shouted, "Go!"

Violet dashed past Zinnia who yanked the Grimm until she hurled it into the air. Violet threw fire Enigmas when the monster was airborne and they stuck around the tendrils protecting the body. Five throwing knives struck the Grimm before exploding into a fiery blast. The smoke from the explosion obscured everyone's view of the monster. Inspecting its condition was fairly difficult, but what it was doing was easy to discern its next action.

It flew out of the smoke like a cannon, heading straight for Ebony, its primary and possibly solely target. Being the target of such a violent monster didn't perturb Ebony, but she was still shaken by its eye. The same as that woman. So otherworldly and frightening. Their meeting was the one time she felt shaken to her very core. Even now, looking into the Grimm's eye that resembled that woman's, her body refused to move despite her brain commanding it to fight back. The Grimm came her way and she was frozen in fear.

" _What the hell is wrong with me? Move!"_ she commanded, but didn't receive the proper response. She stood helplessly as the Grimm came her way. As it came, Zinnia's whip-sword smacked its side, stopping its motion, and Violet was intercepted too, jumping above the Grimm with her gravity dust then landing an axe kick on the top of its head, sending it falling toward the ground. The Grimm recovered before hitting the floor and it levitated just two feet above the ground. It was out of sorts from the unexpected blow, but it was starting to better acknowledge the other fighters.

Watching both Underland women battle was a sight to behold for Ebony. Zinnia and Violet were so different yet so similar, just like Clair and herself. Ebony realized they were two sides of the same coin when Violet landed on the ground in front of her. The Scarred Flower turned to Ebony with a scowl. Ebony was pulled out of her thoughts as Violet yanked the collar of her shirt. She didn't know what Violet planned to do and was shocked when the younger girl reeled her head back.

Violet gave Ebony a satisfying headbutt.

The smack it made was surprising just like the look on Ebony's face. It hurt and it left a mark on her forehead, but she was more shocked than hurt. Violet had the same mark and kept her stern expression as she said, "I don't know what's going on with you, but cut the bullshit!"

If anything, she knocked the fear out of Ebony and replaced it with astonishment. "Uhhh," was all she could say.

"Get your head out of your ass and fight. You still have to deal with Clair after this." Violet let go of Ebony and returned to facing the Grimm. Violet had little to no charm. Ebony concluded with her earlier stunt. Still, she felt the Scarred Flower was right. She needed to get a hold of herself.

The monster was a little dazed from Violet's kick but it seemed to have worn off quickly. Zinnia kept her distance while circling around the battlefield to get closer to Ebony. As she did, she noticed the eyes on the Grimm's tentacles changed color. All of them knew what that meant.

Four beams of energy shot out from the eyes with Violet and Ebony as their targets. The former moved out of the path of two incoming beams and the latter did the same, finally making a move against her enemy. Violet was relieved her words got through and now she hoped they could get through this fight. Ebony backed away as two beams cut through the ground beneath her. They had to be strong and deadly if they could cut through stone like a hot knife to butter. She also looked up to find the other tendrils come their way and take different shapes. A Beowolf, Beringel, Nevermore, and a Deathstalker. Fighting this Grimm felt like fighting an army.

These forms came and the eyes on the other tendrils were still storing energy for their beams. The odds were immediately stacked against them.

"Violet! Hard light!" Zinnia shouted as she ran to their position. She hoped her cousin knew what she wanted and she got her answer when Violet pulled out some hard light dust she had in her pocket and tossed it to her. Zinnia swiftly caught it and placed it in the pummel of her whip-sword, quickly cloaked her weapon in hard light dust. The sturdy blue light covered her weapon just like her semblance as she whipped her sword out over the two in front of her.

The beams came before the Grimm and they were all blocked by the segmented blade but something else happened as well. The hard light not only blocked the beams but reflected them back to the Grimm. Three of them ripped through two Grimm bodies; the Beringal and the Deathstalker. The other one flew by the main Grimm and hit a pillar in the background. The Deathstalker and the Beowolf were still descending on them and Ebony pulled out her scabbard shotgun. The Beowolf was coming to attack her first and she fired when it got in range, blowing a hole through its torso. The Deathstalker was close behind it and Violet had her throwing knives ready, but the Grimm was blindsided by a bombardment of energy bolts. She smirked, knowing who came in to help and threw her knives at the main Grimm.

Destroying the Deathstalker clone was enough to leave a grin on Remus's face. He was able to help Violet out any way possible. The main Grimm could repel his blasts with ease, but the replicas couldn't protect themselves as it could. Tearing down the monster's offense helped the others greatly. His satisfaction didn't last as he found the real Grimm had an eyestalk aimed at him while deflecting Violet's Enigmas. His face turned to worry with no real means of escaping the beam. Remus changed the settings on Delta from rapid-fire to laser mode. The best way he could counter was to fire his laser and hope the beams cancel each other out or divert its course. He prayed that method would work then a second eyestalk was aimed at him.

" _Aw man,"_ Remus thought. He couldn't do anything about the second one.

The red eyes glowed with energy and were ready to fire. Several gunshots went off and the eyes were destroyed before the beams could be discharged. The other eyes were struck by bullets as well and the Grimm flinched in pain as the eyes remained shut. Remus had no idea what happened at first, but he checked his surroundings and found the culprit.

Silver stood with Fenrir in both hands. If asked how he was doing, he'd say his chest was just sore. He could still move and still fight. There was no need for an exposition for him. It wasn't hard to figure out what was going on. Not that he needed to know the full details of the situation. A general rule for him was to shoot anything harming his teammates. He fired more shots at the main Grimm to harm it, annoy it, or draw its attention to him.

The Grimm retracted all its tentacles to wrap around its body to protect itself from all attacks. Silver's bullets and Violet's throwing knives bounced off it and Remus's bolts seemed to do little damage. Its defenses were great, but its long-range beams were out of commission thanks to Silver. There was only one thing left for them to do. Attack! Attack! Attack! Focus on nothing else but attacking that abomination!

Watching VRSZ take the spotlight didn't sit well with Ebony. She turned to Zinnia and the two knew what the other needed to do. Zinnia wrapped her whip-sword around Ebony's waist then tossed her after spinning to gain momentum. The silver-eyed girl soared through the air as she made her way to the Grimm. Everyone else stopped firing so they wouldn't hit her by mistake and their pause made the Grimm peek its eye out to see what was going on then it saw Ebony.

Their gazes met. She was still there. Ebony looked into the giant black eye and could tell that pale woman was looking at her like she was possessing the Grimm. It was still frightening. She was still afraid of that woman, but she refused to back down. Ebony planned on engaging that woman face to face.

Trois Reines was in sword form and the Grimm unfurled its tendrils to strike her. Slash!

Ebony cut through three tendrils with one swing and slashed the Grimm itself. Her true target was the monster's eye, but it turned to the left at the last second so she only hit the body. The Grimm turned after Ebony passed it in order to counterattack. It was met with her scabbard shotgun and the gunfire.

The Grimm screeched loudly and sharply as the gunshot struck its massive eye. Howling in pain. it flew higher and higher into the air, wrapping itself in its tentacles again. Ebony landed on the ground with Zinnia there waiting for her. She turned back to see her work. "Is it dead?"

"It's floating away," Zinnia answered. She kept her eyes on the Grimm and watched it carefully. The other members of VRSZ watched it too.

The Grimm's tendrils receded into its body and it kept its damaged eye shut. Its body was a black orb with no special features or characteristics. It was just like when it first appeared before them. The body began wriggling like small creatures were moving inside it. Violet and the others noticed the odd, disturbing crawling of its skin and feared what was coming next.

The Grimm shrieked once again, but this one was the strangest of all. Instead of a high-pitched wail or a guttural monstrous bellow, its howl sounded human-like a woman in a fit of rage. Ebony was right. That woman she saw in the monster's eye was controlling the Grimm. Who in the world had the power to control Grimm? It was impossible, yet an impossibility was floating in the air before her eyes. Suddenly, the Grimm expelled a vast amount of darkness or its flesh to be more precise, and it spiraled around the Grimm before taking shape.

All the active combatants were experienced fighters. Seeing something out of the ordinary rarely phased them or caused them to halt, but this was an exception to the understood rule. How could anyone keep a calm demeanor in the face of such an abnormality? Beaten and exhausted with no aura to protect them or use their semblances only made the fight even more one-sided. It crossed several minds already. If this battle kept going, they were going to die.

The Grimm's form finally settled and everyone had a clear view of the enemy's shape. All of the black mass formed into a large, humanoid shape. A woman with no legs or face. The body was large along with the arms and hands. Nestled at the woman's forehead was the main Grimm. The eye opened, healed from Ebony's gunshot, then looked down on all of them. The form was completely black with the red pupil of the Grimm's eye being the only secondary color. It was imposing and horrific.

As Ebony looked at it, she couldn't help but see a slight resemblance between this form and the pale woman. It was like she was taking absolute control over the Grimm. With a cold shiver down her spine, she lifted her head to the eye and found it focused on her. She was right. That woman was in control and gunning for her. But why? Ebony didn't have time to come up with a solution because the hovering woman was descending to their location. It was time for the final bout.

Violet, Silver, Zinnia, and Ebony were the mobile fighters, so they moved from their original position and ran around to stay evasive. Remus's injury left him incapable of running, so he had to remain stationary or crawl. It was fine with him. He crawled until his body was leaning against a nearby pillar then changed Delta's setting to laser and waited. Violet was aware the Grimm was only watching Ebony so she used that to her advantage and threw several knives at its backside. With such a huge form and only one eye, there were many blind spots. She was right. Her Enigmas struck the Grimm's large left arm and the dust inside them activated, encasing it in ice. Now it was Zinnia's turn. When she moved around, she made sure to approach Brenton. He was still unconscious but he still had a role to play. He had firepower. When Violet froze the arm, Zinnia stopped in her tracks and jumped high into the air with the frozen arm in her landing area. Instead of her whip-sword, she was holding Oathburner with both hands. Her weapon was on her hilt while she pulled the greatsword's trigger to wrap the blade in intense flames. Simply holding the blade made her hands feel like they were burning. Brenton's faunus scales may have helped him overcome the heat of his own weapon. Zinnia didn't have that, but she had her unrelenting drive. Even with the palms of her hands burning, she swung down with great force and struck the arm.

The power behind her swing and the wild flames reduced the ice and the arm to pieces, falling to the ground as Zinnia did. A tremendous blow to the Grimm, but it didn't seem to feel pain or flinch at losing an appendage. It retaliated, smacking Zinnia away with the other arm, smashing her against the pillar Remus was, crashing several feet away from him. It wasn't hard for him to discern she was bleeding and unconscious. She had to at least have a broken arm. Remus aimed his blaster rifle at the Grimm, waiting for it to turn around again so he could destroy the eye. It had to be the weak spot.

Silver had the right idea. Witnessing Violet and Zinnia's combo proved the only way to harm it was to hit the main body. He kept circling the Grimm and remaining anonymous until he got a clear shot of the eye. He changed Fenrir to its sniper rifle form and bided his time.

Zinnia's defeat didn't go with mention. Ebony stopped moving as she watched her best friend get taken down ruthlessly. She lied there limp in the dirt and Ebony had no idea how badly she was injured or if she was still alive. No. She couldn't think like that. Zinnia was alive. She had to be. Ebony would accept anything else. Wishing her friend to be alive, Ebony felt power swell in her body and concentrate in her eyes.

A bright light shined from Ebony's eyes. Violet, Remus, and Silver saw this but had no idea where it came from, but it seemed to have an effect on the Grimm. It screamed in pain as everything went white. No one could see anything. Not even Remus's bionic eye could tell what was going on. All they could hear were the screams of the Grimm.

The light faded and the world came back to Violet's view. "What happened?" she wondered.

Remus opened his eyes and turned to Ebony, the source of the light. She had her hand on her temple and seemed to be strained like she was dealing with a pounding headache. He turned to the Grimm and found it badly wounded. Its form was in disrepair. One arm was gone and the torso was barely holding itself together. The darkness was falling off like slime and other parts of its body seemed to be turning pale and look like stone. The main Grimm remained in the forehead even though half of the face was stone. The Grimm was hurt but alive. Its mouth was ajar and it seemed to be having trouble blinking.

None of them knew how but the Grimm was badly wounded.

This was the chance Silver was waiting for. He wasted no time and aimed Fenrir at the Grimm, firing one shot to end it all. The Grimm raised its arm, protecting itself by using its petrified hand as a shield. The shot struck a stone finger, breaking it off the hand, but leaving the Grimm unscathed.

"Dammit," Silver cursed his luck as he readied himself for another shot, but failed to notice a massive hand looming over him. Wanting to protect itself from further harm, the Grimm reacted to its aggressor slamming its hand to crush Silver. The gunslinger didn't move, but his body did so with his say. He felt something grab him from behind by the collar of his shirt and he was pulled away from the hand that broke against the ground once it made contact. He tilted his head up to find Violet holding his collar. He was relieved to make it through while she was relieved she reached him in time.

Armless and a majority of its body turned to stone, the Grimm began to reconfigure its mass. It began to regrow the limbs it lost and start anew. Remus and the others watched it try to reshape its form and knew if it succeeded, they'd lose. Remus fired several laser shots at the Grimm's head. He was facing the back of the head, but the form's stability was in question he believed he could get through. Three out of five shots hit and they destroyed a portion of the head, but the main body was still unharmed. Suddenly, a tendril shot out of the woman's backside and it was heading straight for Remus, slamming into his chest and crushing him against the pillar. Whatever oxygen he had in his lungs was taken out with that blow. Remus fell unconscious from the impact. The extent of the damage was unknown. He coughed up blood and a hit like that had to have broken a few bones.

Violet watched Remus go down and she rushed in to strike back, leaving Silver so he could find an opening. She grabbed both her kukris and held them in one hand. then activated the hard light dust. The combined dust increased the length of her blades and took the shape of a greatsword. More tendrils shot out after her and she cut them down with swift swings, advancing closer to the body.

The pain lingered but she was able to handle the light better each time she used it. Ebony opened her eyes to see the flow of the battle. Violet was charging in and Silver was waiting for the right moment. Remus was beaten and the Grimm was close to death but reshaping. One more push was all they needed and Violet was getting that chance for Silver. Several times this Grimm has outmaneuvered them and taken them down with ease. What if their plan doesn't succeed? What if it wasn't enough? Ebony worried about how this would end. They needed a miracle and Ebony realized they had one.

It was her.

She had no idea how, but there was a dormant power in her. It showed itself earlier and it was the most effective attack against that Grimm. " _How the hell do I activate it?"_ She asked herself and watched as a mass of tentacles came Violet's way.

The hard light on her weapon didn't increase its weight so she was able to swing the large blade with ease, mowing down groves of tendrils. Some were decimated before she reached them. Silver changed Fenrir to dual guns and fired a hail of gunfire at any tentacles Violet didn't see or couldn't reach. Their synergy was working, but the Grimm was keeping them at bay until it finished forming a new mass.

Ebony thought back to all the times that light came forth. There had to be some common triggers for all those instances. What was the instance for the one she had a few moments ago? All she could say was that she didn't want Zinnia to die. She felt desperate to save her friend's life then the power showed itself. Was that it? The desire to protect someone or something you cherish greatly...

Was this awesome power really triggered by something you'd find in an animated series?

Violet scaled the Grimm's form with her greatsword in hand and jumped until she was several feet away from the main Grimm. Either she could create an opening for Silver or kill it herself. She'd take whatever she could get. A wave of tendrils rose between her and the Grimm and a second appeared behind her. She clicked her teeth in irritation. It was impossible for her to attack from both sides with her arm too wounded to be used. She was too vulnerable to a two-pronged attack.

Silver combined his guns to return it to its rifle form. The tentacles around Violet obscured her and the main Grimm from his sight and he couldn't fend them off with her when Fenrir was in this form. He had to wait and hope Violet could give his-

Hm?

He grinned to himself as he felt the flow and ebb were going to go his way soon.

Two swirling towers of tentacles came wriggling for Violet and made her decision. " _Cutting down the one behind me will open up Silver's sight and the tendrils in front will come to smack me down, leaving the main Grimm vulnerable… This is gonna hurt a lot so you better take the shot, Silver,"_

Violet wielded her kukris in one hand and swung them at the mass of tendrils behind her, cutting them down in a single strike and leaving herself open to the other coming her way. She closed her eyes and braced herself. A slam to the ground from this height was bound to break an arm or a leg if she was lucky. It was more likely to kill her.

"Time for the hero of this story to save the day!"

A flash of a blade and the second wave of tentacles were cut to ribbons. In the air with Violet was the Charming Vantablack herself, a smirk on her face and a shine in her silver eyes. "You did well, but it's my turn."

Another mass of tendrils came, looking to attack Ebony from all possible directions, but she didn't waver in her movements. She did everything with one purpose in mind; to keep her comrades safe and live to see Clair. According to Violet, there were some things they had to discuss.

She still wasn't absolutely sure where this power was coming from, but this time she was going to activate it on purpose. She could already feel the power rising with her desire to keep everyone safe. This was the end of this horrific battle.

As Ebony stared into the eye of the Grimm again, she could see the pale woman in the sinister room. Her face showed Ebony she was a little vexed with the fight. It put a smile on Ebony's face as her eyes began to glow, but the pale woman smirked as well.

The massive eye of the Grimm began to build up energy faster than her power could be unleashed. Ebony cursed herself for thinking the battle was in her favor. If the small eyes could fire beams, why couldn't the bigger one? This one was going to vaporize her entire body once it was unleashed. The pale woman spoke to Ebony, knowing the battle would end in her victory.

"I win."

The Grimm's eye was stabbed with a large shining sword. It wailed in pain and the woman clutched her left eye as if she was the one who was stabbed. When Ebony returned to the reality happening around her, she found Violet beside her with her hard light greatsword plunged into the Grimm's eye. She noticed the Grimm storing power but not Violet. What was wrong with her?

"Too slow, hero," Violet spat as she violently yanked her sword out of the Grimm's eye.

How else was Ebony supposed to respond but with a chuckle? Finally, she felt the power swell full, ready to be unleashed. A burst of light came forth from Ebony and the entire battlefield was bathed in it. Just like last time, the Grimm screeched with a womanly tone then it ceased. That spot was engulfed in light for one minute before it began to fade.

When it died down, Silver could see the others. Violet and Ebony were perfectly fine. They stood atop the Grimm which turned into a petrified sculpture of itself. No shot needed to be taken. The gunslinger finally dropped his shoulders, let go of Fenrir, and sighed in relief. The Grimm was no more.

Ebony was glad she actually commanded her unknown ability. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was harmful to the creatures of Grimm. She stood on the shoulder of the stone woman with Violet on the other. This dynamic pose only lasted a couple of seconds as the woman statue and the Grimm began to crack and crumble. It all fell apart and they landed on the ground with no trouble. Both women stood triumphant as the great battle came to an end, but Violet's eyes were on Ebony's. They showed no desire to continue fighting. Only patience.

Violet told Ebony what she wanted to do with her before the Grimm showed up. Now, she was waiting to see if Ebony was going to follow through with it. The ball was in her court. The next move was for her to decide and Violet would act accordingly.

What happens in the next chapter of her story was completely up to her.

* * *

 **I never thought of a name for the Grimm. It's based on the Beholder from Dungeons and Dragons so calling it a Beholder would be appropriate.**

 **So yeah. The group had an encounter with Salem. I wasn't sure how to rope her into the series, but I rolled some dice to determine what would happen after their first battle and they got the short end of the stick and I mean the shortest short end. It was the worst kind of random encounter.**


	69. Every Beginning Has An End

**Setting: Nexus**

Today felt like it dragged on forever for everyone yet the end felt somewhat abrupt. Everything that happened in the last few hours almost felt like a dream. And when it was over, Silver found himself on the first floor of the Nexus council building, sitting in the main lobby with Bianca. He and Violet were the only ones among their team who weren't severely injured. Remus and Zelts were taken to the only hospital in nexus to receive medical treatment. He didn't fret over Remus too much but was concerned about Zelts. He took a heavy beating for them and he remained unconscious since then. The burn marks on his body looked bad and Silver prayed that was the only thing about them. Burn scars were not appealing and taking the fiery blast for his teammates made Silver feel guilty.

An arm wrapped around Silver's shoulders and a pair of lips pecked his cheek. "It's going to be alright," Bianca reassured him. She gently wrapped her hand on his head and brought it down so it laid on her shoulder, petting his hair to soothe his heart. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I hope so," he responded, but he sounded a little doubtful. He believed her. Bianca rarely lied and whenever she was sure of something, it was usually true. However, there was one thing he wasn't sure of himself. He glanced at the stairs leading to the upper levels then said, "I just don't know what happens next."

After defeating Ebony and killing the unknown Grimm, the next step was ambiguous for both parties. Violet left it up to Ebony who remained silent for quite a time. In the end, she decided to go to Nexus and do what Violet told her. Silver didn't know what they discussed while he was out of commission. Whatever deal they made got them a ride back home. The three of them gathered their friends and boarded Ebony's airship and administered quick treatment to tend to any immediate wounds. They were fortunate the damage to the airship didn't extend to the engine or navigation systems. It didn't take them long to get airborne and they reached Nexus late in the evening.

Everyone except Violet, Ebony, and himself was sent to the hospital. Silver found himself here where Violet and Ebony went to Clair's office and Clair asked everyone not to disturb them. All Silver could do now was wait for whatever outcome was going to come.

 **Setting: Clair's Office**

Violet Tulipe, Clair de Lune Vantablack, and Ebony Vantablack. Three major figures in one room. Clair had her eyes set solely on her cousin, glaring at her with animosity which was fair given their history. Even Ebony understood as she did nothing to defend herself and kept her gaze to the floor. The Lady of Nexus made no attempt to hide her disdain and she refused to initiate any kind of conversation with Ebony and Ebony didn't know what to say since this was all Violet's idea. As the person who created this scenario, Violet spoke up for both of them.

"Clair, I'm aware this is strange, but I need you to understand why I brought her here. This was best for you."

This at least got Clair to glance her way, but her dislike seemed to extend to her friend as well as she replied, "It's funny you think bringing her here was best for me. As far as I can tell, Ebony gets to avoid the punishment she deserves. You sure she didn't charm her way to make it here?"

Frustrating as she was being, Violet sympathized with her friend and a quick look at Ebony showed she did as well. How could she not? There was a lot of bad blood between them. Many of the problems Nexus, VRSZ, and Clair faced originated from her. Even before Nexus, she was an adversary in some shape or form. Being involved with the destruction of Fortuna was not lost on any of them. Ebony slumped her shoulders and refused to speak. She didn't feel like she could defend herself. She had no leg to stand on. It was a consequence she expected with the road she paved. Clair disliked her and Violet disliked her. Their battle together did not change that perspective, but she kept telling herself she wasn't doing this for Ebony.

Tension. Tension filled the room. It was emanating from Clair and it was suffocating. Just being here felt uncomfortable and Violet needed to find a way to change it and explain herself. She turned to Ebony and told her, "Go outside. I'll call you when we're done."

The Charming Vantablack walked out of the office and Violet was immediately jealous. She wished she could leave, but she dug herself into by following her gut. Now, she had to follow through, hoping removing Ebony would make it easier. The look in Clair's eyes already told Ebony her answer.

 _No_

"My mind was already made up," Clair started before Violet could utter a word. She placed her hand on her forehead in frustration. She seemed less enraged and more vexed now that Ebony was gone. It was a relief to Violet. Maybe she could get her point across better. "I already resolved myself to kill her to end all of this. You agreed with me. In order for us to be completely rid of Ebony-"

"I know," Violet interrupted. "I know what I said, but thinking back… I only agreed because I wanted to hear your answer and support you no matter what, but…" She fell silent.

"But?" Clair egged her on.

"But then I remembered my family and how they ripped each other apart, how it drove my mother to an early grave and scarred me for the rest of my life... No matter how much you dislike them or even hate them when you kill family, it changes you. My father died in front of my eyes and I had every intention to end his life, so even though I didn't deliver the final blow, the fact that I was going to and he would've died either way still haunts me. The woman who killed her father. No matter how much I repress it, ignore it, and bury it under everything else in my life, it's still there, reminding me what I did. What I intended to do… And I don't want you to be haunted like me."

"Vi…" Clair's irritation seemed to vanish as Violet kept talking until she felt sorry for her. They've talked about this before but it was clear Violet withheld a few things.

"You're a better person than me. A much better person. And I don't want you to go through the same turmoil. It'll eat you up inside. Someone like you can't have that kind of baggage in her life. Please, speak with Ebony. Find some other way of resolving all of this."

She watched her friend remain silent on the matter, but it didn't mean she ignored her. Clair's face was going through every face in the emotional spectrum with confusion between all the changes. It was like Violet was watching Clair attempt to solve the most difficult equation in the world. Then she sighed. The Lady of Nexus finally spoke after two minutes of contemplation. "You really did this for me?"

"Yeah." It was a simple answer for the Scarred Flower. "It's not like I did it for her. I really can't stand her."

Her words actually brought a grin to Clair's face. She was glad to see that so she continued, "Honestly, I don't see me and her ever being friends. She's insane." That got a small laugh out of Clair. The tension was fading away and she saw the smile she loved seeing adorn her friend's expression that suited Clair de Lune Vantablack the best.

"So, what are you gonna do?" Violet asked.

Clair took a deep breath then said, "Bring her in. Give us some time to talk. We'll come up with something. And you get some rest. You and your boy toys have been through hell today."

" _Boy toys. Haven't heard that in a long time. She really is back to normal. Good,"_ Violet thought with a small grin, nodding in agreement with her friend. She turned to the door to get Ebony.

"Violet," Clair called out, "thank you for everything."

She didn't need to say that. Not to Violet. There was no need. This wasn't like their old missions as Freelancers or owing a favor. This was helping a friend in need. Nothing more. She didn't have to thank her, yet it felt good to hear the appreciation. A warmth was born in her chest and it spread throughout her body. It was nice hearing her best friend say that. Violet turned to Clair with a smile she couldn't suppress and said, "What would you do without me?"

This received another chuckle from Clair, but Violet knew the question was for her as well. There was no right answer. She felt their lives were too intertwined to be separate. They possessed a very strong bond. Forever a part of each other's lives.

Violet opened the door and looked to Ebony. The smile she had vanished when her eyes landed on the other Vantablack. "Good luck," was all she told her before walking away. It didn't sway Ebony's nervousness as she trudged into her cousin's office, but she accepted whatever fate that would fall upon her.

 **Setting: Nexus Council Building**

Violet descended to the lobby where she found Silver and Bianca. They were waiting for some change and her coming to them got Silver to jump out of his seat. Seeing him move like that did relieve her. His injuries healed with time and as his aura returned. It was the same for her, but she was more worried about Silver's condition.

"Is everything all right? What happened? Where's Ebony?" Silver bombarded her with questions as he invaded her space. Seeing as how he was the least hurt among them, she deemed it okay to do this. Violet smacked the side of his head to make him stop with repetitive questions and it worked. tIt gave her a chance to speak.

"Knock it off. Everything should be fine. Clair and Ebony are talking amongst themselves and they'll let us know what to do next. For now, we check on Remus and Zelts then get some sleep."

For once, there was no snappy comeback or complaint about being hit. Instead, Silver said, "Okay," then went to Bianca. He knew how serious this was. That was good to know. The three of them left the building and walked to the hospital to check on their friends.

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

The fractured moon was in the sky as the day came to an end. Violet laid in her bed feeling a mixture of unease and satisfaction. There were several reasons why. She and her team emerged victoriously, but not the way they originally intended. The visit to the hospital was free of drama. She was thankful for that.

Remus was fine and his usual smiling self though he had to get a lot of stitches for the gash along his abdomen. Injured or not, he was glad everyone made it out safely. Zelts made a few marks along his body, but his face was saved. His body was scarred with burn marks yet none of them were as severe as when he first received them. It was thanks to his aura returning that a majority of his wounds were healed and medical treatment accelerated the process while taking care of other injuries. He was finally conscious and asked if anyone else was hurt. It was just like him to worry about the others instead of his own well-being.

Both of them would be discharged very soon. It was joyous news but their condition wasn't the only reason Violet and Silver were there. Zinnia and Brenton were receiving treatment as well. Brenton had the hole in his body patched up and had to keep the bandages wrapped around his abs and waist. It was going to take a long time for his wound to heal. Thankfully, he had no other serious injuries. The same couldn't be said for Zinnia. The attack from the Grimm left her with a few broken bones. Her right arm and a few ribs would take a long time to heal. The blow to her head was taken care of with medical treatment and recovery from her aura so she didn't have any other severe injuries. However, it would take around six weeks for her bones to heal.

Violet had no love for her family in Atlas, but Zinnia was different. Even during her time as a captive, Zinnia treated her differently. It would be a stretch to call themselves friends, but there was mutual respect between the two. At least Violet felt that way. Whether her cousin did or not was unknown.

Many things happened, but it all had to come to an end eventually. It was still hard for Violet to fall asleep, accepting everything that occurred. She still didn't receive word from Clair about her talk with Ebony. She'd have to wait until tomorrow, but tomorrow wouldn't come anyway sooner if she didn't fall asleep. Sleep escaped her for three more hours. Her mind had to rest.

Tomorrow was a new day.

 **Setting: Nexus Council Building**

"I'm sorry for keeping you all on standby," Clair told those around her. She stood in the lobby of the council building with Violet, Silver, Bianca, Ghost, Azura, and Ebony by her side. With everyone else in medical care, they were the only ones able to be present. Violet could sense the lack of hostility from Clair which she considered a good sign, but it didn't give her any hint of where this announcement was going.

"Ebony and I came to an understanding. We may have our differences, but family is still family." Her eyes flicked to Violet for a quick second then returned to the crowd. It was a small thanks for her words, putting a smile on Violet's face. "So, we came to some kind of truce."

"What kind?" Ghost asked.

Clair turned to Ebony who took a deep breath. She said, "All of my plans for Vacuo are to be terminated as per our agreement. And... I will leave Vacuo as soon as my friends recover…"

That was unexpected to everyone. With death off the table, imprisonment was the next best bet. A number of the people present thought Ebony would face some in prison or something, but exile wasn't on anyone's mind. Even Violet didn't think of it. In a way, it was a sort of imprisonment, confining Ebony to the rest of Remnant and keeping her out of their hair.

"I'll be gone for however long Clair wishes," she added.

"With global communications down, I'll be giving Ebony one of CCDs so we can stay in touch and mostly I'll be able to inform her when she can return," Clair said. She noticed Azura raised her hand to get her attention.

"If that's the deal, how will you be able to know she's actually outside of Vacuo? It's not like we have eyes everywhere."

"The CCD in her scroll has a built-in tracker. I'll be able to know where she goes at all times," Clair answered, showing off her scroll. It was a GPS map of Vacuo with a red circle, showing where the tracker was. It wasn't enough to convince the Cobalt. "And what insurance do you have that she won't ditch the CCD?"

Clair turned to her cousin and said, "Because Ebony gave me her word she'd keep it on her at all times. And I'm choosing to put my faith in her."

A relieving breath escaped Ebony's nostrils and lifted her shoulders. Having someone put their trust in her despite her semblance felt good. Zinnia always believed her, but it was still a great feeling knowing someone else was taking her for her word.

"If that's what you decided then that's fine with me," Bianca stated. She knew Clair was the type of person to do whatever she put her mind to, but Bianca wanted to give her consent. It was appreciated as Clair flashed her a small smile.

"This will come into effect once Zinnia and Brenton can be discharged from the hospital. Until then, Ebony will be under… house arrest. She'll be under my care in housing far from your residence and anywhere I go, she will accompany me... I think that's all I wanted to tell you guys."

"Quite an arrangement," Ghost noted. He didn't sound upset or pleased with his response. It wasn't easy to read him.

"I have a question," Silver spoke up then said, "This means that our beef with Ebony is taken care of, but there's still the kingdom. They want her for all the manipulation. What do we do about that?" The kingdom of Vacuo almost slipped their minds. He was right. Her transgression exceeded far beyond them. Aiding their enemy could ruin the newly established relationship between Nexus and the kingdom which was formed from the same mutual enemy.

"Let me talk to Theodore," Violet told the others. "He expected Team VRSZ to deal with Ebony, not Nexus. Clair, I'm going to need his contact to speak with him later."

"Of course," Clair replied.

"Now that that's settled, I think you two should go to the hospital," Violet told Clair and Ebony. "There are some people who want to see you."

 **Setting: Hospital**

"I'm so glad you two are okay," Clair said as she wrapped her arms around Remus and Zelts. With their wounds mended, they were allowed to walk around and they got up to see Clair. She was the only person yet to visit them.

She had each boy on her side and kissed both of them on their cheeks relentlessly. Knowing they needed medical care put a lot of worry in her heart and seeing them. Remus was glad Clair was happy and Zelts shared that feeling. She finally stopped showering them with love and backed away to face them. "How much longer will you guys be staying here? You seem ready to leave if you ask me."

"We will. The doctors want to do a once-over to make sure we were fine for discharge. Tomorrow might probably be our last day," Zelts answered.

"Good," Clair said as she pulled them in for a group hug. Zelts felt her head pressed against his chest and held a tight embrace. Even in this situation, Clair was still Clair.

The visiting hours for Ebony weren't as joyous as her cousin's. Her friends weren't up and moving like Remus and Zelts. Her visit to Brenton's room was brief. He was still sleeping with his injury patched up. Dried blood decorated the bandages and she found bloodier ones in the waste bin. Sadness filled her eyes as she approached him. She did nothing more than kiss his forehead then left to find Zinnia.

"It's good to know they didn't kill you," Zinnia said with the smallest of smiles on her face. She sat upright in her bed with her arm bandaged and in a sling. Bandages were wrapped around her head as well, but she seemed to be doing fine.

Ebony couldn't help but let a small laugh escape her lips. She was grateful none of them were hurt. "They're better than that. Arrangements have been made and I'll let you and Brenton know all about it…" Ebony stopped talking then quickly walked to Zinnia and held her in a tight embrace. "I'm so, so glad you're alright."

"Ah…" Zinnia chuckled then said, "You too... My body still hurts. Could you…"

"Oh! Sorry!" Ebony released her best friend delicately, treating her with the fragility of a porcelain vase. "Listen. A lot has happened and there are going to be plenty of changes in my future... If you… The alterations may not be what you desire, so I understand if you want to return to Atlas."

"I'm not going anywhere," the Paragon replied quickly. "I don't care what changes you have to make, I'm staying by your side no matter what."

"Why?" Ebony asked, realizing this might be the first time she questioned Zinnia's allegiance with her.

"Your methods may be... morally gray," Ebony believed Zinnia was just being nice with her choice of words, "but deep down, you are not a bad person. With the right guidance, you could do wonders and no one is better to help you but me. Besides, whatever arrangement or restrictions placed on you, you always bounce back stronger than ever. No one can really hold you down."

"Damn... Dammit," Ebony scratched her scalp like it was on fire but she just felt flustered. Her face warmed up and she couldn't suppress her smile. "How could you say all of that with a straight face?! Dammit! Now I can't turn you down or look back, can I?"

Zinnia just kept her smile and Ebony did the same.

 **Three Days Later**

 **Setting: Blood's Grave**

"I'm sorry I didn't come to visit you sooner, but I wanted to make sure Zinnia could come as well," Ebony told Blood's grave.

The burial site where Blood was buried looked the same as it did when it was first created. Flowers were present around his tombstone and they were fresh. Flowers were a rare commodity in Vacuo. It was harder to acquire than dust or gems so seeing so many of them in one place was astounding. In fact, it's customary in Vacuo to give flowers to loved ones or those you want to be a part of your life forever. It was something Ebony learned in her time in Vacuo.

" _It's nice to be loved,"_ she thought as she placed her own flower in front of Blood's grave. " _Despite our differences, it all started with you and me. I will never forget that,"_

She watched as Zinnia did the same with her own flower. Even they shared a bond. " _And I'm sure she won't forget you either,"_

Watching from a few feet behind them was Clair. She was aware their temporary alliance didn't lack some attachments. Somehow, someway, Blood befriended them. Out of respect for that, Clair thought it was right to let them see him one last time.

It was odd adjusting to being a guardian of Ebony and Zinnia. Neither of them caused any trouble, but she was still getting used to their company. One was family and the other was a relative of Violet, but she felt there was still some kind of wall preventing any further intimacy. It wasn't any secret why. Everything that happened between wasn't forgotten. It couldn't be forgotten. So, Clair realized she'd have to live with it moving forward and the same goes for Ebony.

Clair lost her concept of time as she just watched her cousin and Zinnia pray over Brenton's grave. She was sure there were many things they wanted to tell them. However, a look at the time on her scroll told her this reunion had to end. "Ebony, Zinnia, it's time. We have to go or else we'll miss it."

 **Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

A buzzing sound emanated from the bathroom, specifically the one shared by Silver and Zelts. It continued for more than half an hour and it seemed to be the most enthralling thing in the household as Violet, Remus, and Silver were listening from outside the door. And they weren't the only ones. Along with them, but remaining in the living room was every member of Clair's Enforcers, C.P., Onyx, and even the council members. Everyone stood and waited for the sound to stop. It meant it was time.

Team VRSZ was incredibly anxious. They've been preparing for this day for a very long time and dreaded its arrival. It was an incredible sacrifice, but it was going to bring about so much joy. Knowing that relieved the pressure and they focused on that to help them get through this. It helped them lift the corners of their lips as the buzzing noise finally ceased. The door was opening.

This has been the day they've been waiting for.


	70. And Every End is a New Beginning

**Setting: VRSZ Duplex**

"GODAMMIT!" a voice screamed in frustration. It caught everyone off guard.

"What?" Zelts asked as he looked at Silver. He looked at his friend with great concern. He wasn't expecting such an outburst after exiting the bathroom.

"I just can't with you Zelts! Dammit! You have us waiting for so long out here and you come out looking like that!? Beard… No beard. Is there any style, any version of you where you don't look hot!?" Silver griped.

Zelts stood before his best friends with newly cut facial hair. He shaved his beard, reducing it to stubble along his jaw and beneath his cheekbones. It gave him a more groomed looked while keeping a sense of ruggedness his full beard once had. His face was still wet from washing the excess hair and shaving cream and he stepped out with no shirt on. His damp face and muscular figure were on full display.

He was showing the others why he was known as the most attractive member of VRSZ.

The hallway they occupied was not secluded. It connected to the living room and everyone there could see the situation unfold. It went without saying that every woman in the building was blushing and every man felt a little threatened.

"Hey! Did we-" Clair burst through the front door with Zinnia and Ebony in tow and they were able to witness the scene. Clair's jaw dropped. She had no words as her eyes absorbed Zelts's figure. She stood there like a statue. The only movement she performed was pulling out her scroll, lifting it, and taking a single picture of Zelts.

Ebony wasn't able to take a picture. She was in a state of shock, yet her face held a smile. A very big one. She made a mental note to request Clair to share that photo even if it meant begging and groveling. Zinnia was ashamed of herself for objectifying Zelts at that moment. She had seen handsome men before, but this situation brought about a side to her that made her wonder if it was similar to Ebony whenever she ogled a man. In a way, she understood her friend a little more, but it made her a little disgusted with herself. She kept her eyes to the ground.

"Why is everyone here?" Zelts said. As always, he was oblivious to his effect on people.

"Just put your shirt on and we'll tell you," Violet told him, treating him like the sun, making sure not to look directly at him. He was making all of them uncomfortable.

He came back a few moments later with his usual attire and observed the others. Their faces were calmer, but he didn't know why they were so flustered. In fact, he didn't know why everyone was here in the first place. No one told him about any meeting, or mission, or party. "Can someone tell me what this is about?" he finally asked.

"Rey-Rey," Violet called. Remus ran to the kitchen then came back with a banner. He held up one side and Azura held the other, giving Zelts a full view of what it said.

" _Farewell, Zelts! Best Wishes!"_

Zelts's face showed momentary surprise then he smiled. It was a small smile. He was overjoyed, but there was sadness as well. After all, this was his going away party. He told them before and a lot of things delayed his plans, but it was all over now. The time has finally come.

He didn't notice a tear form in his eye until it fell across his cheek. He brought his hand up to catch it, but he was too slow. There was no hiding the sorrow in his heart no matter how big a smile he made. Zelts could do nothing else but chuckle. Those around him understood the inner turmoil and realization he was going through right now. They were all dealing with it. Someone who has been a part of their lives for so long was going away.

"You guys didn't need to do this," Zelts said, feeling the sting of more tears in his eyes.

"Don't say that," Violet told him, "If anything, I wish we could've done more. It's not going to be the same without you."

"She's right. Let's face it, how many people are we gonna find with a color-based name that starts with Z?" Silver joked until he noticed Remus. The Blue Flicker silently looked to Zinnia and so did Silver. The Paragon shook her head, declining the offer. Silver wasn't serious. Besides Zinnia, he highly doubted anyone else fitted the criteria. "What I'm trying to say is you're irreplaceable."

The Golden Wind chuckled, feeling grateful to have so many people care about him. With the life he had before, he never expected anything like this. "I'm so glad I met all of you," Zelts said aloud though he meant to say it in his head.

"Same, now let's enjoy ourselves. You leave tomorrow," Violet said and the party started.

Each person took their time to speak with Zelts, thanking him for his deeds, friendship, and more. He even took the time to speak with Ebony and Zinnia, trying to be civil to his former enemies. Receiving so much praise felt embarrassing to him. He didn't feel like he did much to deserve it. All he could do was laugh and say thank you. Deep down, he knew none of this could've been possible without Violet, Remus, and Silver. It was thanks to them he made it this far. Thanks to them he will be able to live a peaceful life with Lily. He wished he could throw them a party to show his appreciation.

" _...I go to Vale tomorrow afternoon, so there has to be something I can do?"_ Zelts wondered to himself. He turned to Solis, watching him converse with Azura. Zelts had an idea.

The party went on for most of the day thanks to the peaceful times. Silver cooked a great number of dishes to keep the party going. He nearly depleted the house's stock of food, but it meant he had to go to the trading district and find more resources. There was always something new there and Silver enjoyed the element of surprise. Haggling, trading, and making deals in the trading district was almost as enjoyable as cooking. He was in the kitchen, putting away a few dishes before he paused to think.

" _Is this the last time I cook for Zelts?"_

Tears landed on the dirty plate in his hands and Silver quickly wiped his face with his arms.

" _Don't think about that,"_ he thought, keeping his head down and focused on the work in front of him.

People began to leave the VRSZ household when the sun began to set. There was work to be done tomorrow, so a few of them wouldn't be able to see Zelts depart. Each of them encouraged him, wished him the best, and hoped to see him again. It was time for Clair to take Ebony and Zinnia to their temporary residence. They had a big day as well. Not only was Zelts leaving, but tomorrow was the day Ebony was going to leave Vacuo. This may have been the last time Zelts will see the Charming Vantablack. He felt like he should say farewell.

"You're leaving tomorrow too," he stated.

"Uh-huh. I know I already said this, but I'm sorry for all the trouble I-"

"Don't worry about it," Zelts waved her apology off. He wasn't the type to hold a grudge and as she said, she apologized enough during the party. "Do you know where you're going to go?"

"Zinnia and I have been thinking and we settled on Mistral. Atlas has some personnel there and I can use my title as a diplomat to try and make things better. Zinnia is technically still an Atlas Specialist so she can help open a few doors for us. It's time I actually try to be the diplomat I was assigned to be."

"I wish all three of you the best of luck," Zelts said.

"Three? Oh, right. I never told anyone… Brenton won't be coming," Ebony admitted downheartedly. "I wish he could."

Zelts looked surprised one of the Champions wasn't going with her. "Are his wounds holding him back?"

She smiled and said, "No. He's a king now. I can't ask him to uproot his new life for me. We already discussed this and we agreed it's best to part ways… but he said we're welcome in Corona anytime once the exile is lifted. We'll be keeping in touch thanks to the CCD. So, it'll be me and Zinnia for a while."

"Good luck," Zelts told her and she smiled at him.

"Don't need luck when you have skill, right?"

He figured she was right. She has done a ton of things in Vacuo, leaving her one step ahead of everyone. If she honed her talent to genuinely help people, she could leave a big impact on the world of Remnant.

"That said, I advised Brenton to form an alliance with Nexus. I spoke with him and Clair about this and they agreed. Corona may be better off with him as their leader, but he's going to need some help. It also serves as the first olive branch between me and Clair."

"I think you're off to a great start," he complimented and it made her blush.

With everyone gone and the day over, each member went to bed, knowing this was the last night they'd spend underneath the same roof. None of them could sleep. Doing so felt like admitting something they didn't want to accept. This was a hard night for all of them.

 **The Next Day**

 **Setting: Nexus**

The rising sun greeted those up early in the morning and those individuals included Team VRSZ as well as Clair, Bianca, Ebony, Zinnia, and Brenton. It was time for Ebony to begin her exile and travel to Mistral and she had an audience for her departure. People who she didn't consider enemies, but obstacles in the way of her previous plan. She did find it amusing how these obstacles were changing the course of her destiny. Her dream to be immortalized in history failed in Vacuo. The most she did was create a stir that would fade from people's memories in a year at most.

" _Maybe I'll have better luck in Mistral,"_ the Charming Vantablack thought dejectedly as she stared at her repaired airship. The boarding hatch was open and she stood before it with Zinnia by her side. One more step and her shoes would be standing on metal instead of sand. " _How long will it be until I can feel Vacuo sand again?_ "

"Are you ready?" Ebony heard her cousin ask. She turned to see Clair return her scroll to her with the CCD attached to it. The device was a clever creation in Ebony's mind. Communicating while the rest of the world was silent. A dangerous thing in the wrong hands, but she didn't believe Clair had any sinister motives in mind. She also noticed the device was simply attached to her scroll. It wasn't bolted in or permanently locked. Clair said she trusted Ebony to keep it on and she clearly meant it.

"The next time we meet, let's sit down, have some tea, and talk about the things we've done," Clair told her cousin with a hopeful look. "Sounds good, right?"

And Ebony remembered her cousin was not a heartless monarch. The exile would be lifted sometime in the future and once her sentence is done, Clair would forgive her. It was going to take a very long time to patch their relationship together, but it could be done."I'd like that."

"If there's anything you want to say before you go, you can," Clair offered. Ebony turned her head to see the group of people who came for her departure and knew there were words that needed to be said. She approached Brenton first.

The King of Flames was on his feet and out of the hospital, though his body was still plagued with bandages. Seeing him here filled Ebony with joy. Zinnia felt the same but kept her feelings under wraps, unlike her liege who hugged the lizard faunus tightly.

"Ow," he uttered in response to the embrace.

"Sorry!" Ebony let up and kept a loose hold of his waist, being careful not to touch his wound. Brenton was expecting some sort of perverse act like kissing, groping, or caressing his abs, but she did nothing. "I'm really going to miss having you around," she said in a low tone so only he could hear her.

"Come on. It's not like we're saying goodbye forever," he told her reassuringly. He took the initiative and held her closer. "When you get back, come to Corona. You're always welcome there."

"...Thank you…" She stayed in his arms for a few moments longer. Brenton was keeping himself together, but even he felt a little sad. A lot of things happened in his life because of her, good and bad, and now she was leaving. The reality of separation left him longing. His feelings vanished immediately when he felt her hands groping his ass. She never missed an opportunity.

"See you around," she said with a wink and a smile, and Brenton groaned.

"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off. The sentiment was lost on him.

Ebony turned to Team VRSZ, the people she terrorized the most. Looking at their faces showed she wasn't going to get the same moment as she did with Brenton. Zelts was the only saving grace as he held a smile grin to lighten the harsh looks Violet and Silver gave her. Remus had an expression of indifference. He likely didn't hold a grudge, but it didn't mean he liked her. Still, she needed to speak with them, but-

" _How the hell am I going to do this?"_ she wondered in her head frantically while she kept a cool outer facade.

She approached Zelts first. He had to be the easiest one to speak to. "I wish you a happy retirement."

He chuckled, "You make it sound like I'm old."

" _Good. He's making it easy,"_ she thought relieved.

"Same for you. Remnant's a big place."

"I can hold my own and I have Zinnia by my side so it's not like I'll be alone. With her by my side, there's nothing to worry about. Be sure to give Lily my regards and maybe we can meet up sometime later when I have the time."

It wasn't lost on Ebony that Zelts paused before saying"...Sure. It should be interesting."

He didn't say no. " _Baby steps,"_ she thought positively. She walked toward Remus next.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Neither of them knew how to start this conversation.

"This is certainly awkward," Ebony blurted.

Remus sighed in relief. "Oh, good! I thought it was too." He scratched the back of his head as the back of his head. It calmed both of them down to realize there didn't need to be any drama. Next to Zelts, Ebony found Remus to be the easiest person to talk to.

"I'm sorry about everything I put you guys through. An apology can't make up for it, but it's a start, right?" she eyed Remus to see his response.

"No, it can't," he said bluntly. He didn't mince words or beat around the bush. Remus was very direct with his speech. "But it's a start."

Remus extended his hand for a handshake and Ebony took it. This was a good start for them and Ebony had to make a mental note not to be so provocative with him anymore. If yesterday's party told her anything, Remus and Violet were a thing and she didn't want to incur the Scarred Flower's ire.

" _Now for the difficult ones,"_ she thought as she turned her attention to Silver and Violet. They were all that was left before she could have a clear conscience. And just like a video game, Ebony worked her way up to the final boss. She went to Silver who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey-"

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted her. "It's cool. We're cool, but you're gonna have to convince her that." Before she could say anything else, he walked away, unveiling Violet behind him. Whether she and Silver were on better terms was unknown, but a new problem arose in the form of Violet. She was flung at the final boss before she leveled up properly.

"Uh," she didn't know where to start.

"Let's get one thing straight," Violet said "I didn't do this for you. You're only here because I wanted Clair to have an unburdened heart. I don't care where you go or what you do as long as you're out of our hair." Her face showed no kindness and her tone lacked empathy. "Doing all of this so the world would remember you. Foolish. One thing is certain; I won't be forgetting you anytime soon." Somehow hearing Violet speak so coldly to her felt alright. It was the familiar tone she heard through most of their encounters that put her heart at ease. And that last little comment...

Violet kept her eyes on Ebony yet noticed a smirk creep on the Charming Vantablack's face. " _Oh, shit,"_

"Wow! It must be really hard for you," Ebony said and Violet raised a confused eyebrow. "All those words just to mask your true feelings. Don't worry. I'll be fine out there."

"That's not what I was saying," Violet stated and Ebony laughed.

"Sure it's not," Ebony teased and it only agitated Violet further. "Trying to hide your true feelings with your words. We're pretty alike, you know."

"I am nothing like you."

"Like two sides of the same coin."

"More like night and day," Violet retorted.

"See? Bantering like friends," Ebony laughed and extended her hand for a handshake.

"We are not friends," Violet stated and slapped her hand away.

Ebony laughed while turning to the airship. "I have your number, so I'll be sure to keep in touch so you won't miss me!"

Feeling defeated, Violet turned around and walked away with her parting words being, "Fuck off." She leaned over to look at Clair and shouted, "Get rid of her already!"

Ebony returned to her airship with Zinnia, Bianca, and Clair waiting for her. The smile on her face didn't go unnoticed by the two in front of her. Ebony felt better than she did this morning. No matter how the talks went, a weight was lifted off her shoulders. All her guilt was assuaged at last. She could leave with her head held high and start a new story.

"Ready to go?" Clair asked.

"Yeah. You got anything to say to anyone?" Ebony asked Zinnia.

The Paragon still had her arm in a sling but she appeared healthy overall. She glanced at everyone around her then her eyes landed on Violet. The two cousins said nothing to each other, choosing to communicate in a form that was sensible to them.

Zinnia nodded at Violet and Violet nodded at Zinnia.

"Okay. I'm ready," Zinnia spoke out as she boarded the airship.

"What kind of goodbye was that?" Ebony complained as she followed her best friend unto the vehicle.

Clair watched her cousin board her airship and walked away as the engine roared. Just like that, Ebony Vantablack flew off toward the horizon. It was… strange to Clair. Her cousin was the biggest problem she ever faced, yet she was also the greatest challenge as well. The way they waged war against each other was something Clair never experienced before. Despite the stakes, it was fun having a sort of business rivalry. She doubted if she'd ever gain a rival like her ever again.

" _...Wierd. Am I actually going to miss her?"_

Ping! Clair's scroll just received a message. She pulled out her device and found the message belonged to Ebony.

' _You won this round. I'll win the next one!'_

Clair rolled her eyes in amusement and annoyance and the grin on her face could not be removed. " _And thought C.P. was going to be the death of me,"_

"I'm glad that's over." Clair stiffened when she registered Violet's voice right behind her. When did she get so close?

"Y-yes. It's done," she responded.

"Now all that's left is making arrangements for Zelts," Silver chimed in as he walked to the group. Remus and Zelts came as well. Zelts nodded to Clair and Bianca. They knew what to do.

"Everything is taken care of, but none of you have to worry about that. In fact, there is something else I need Team VRSZ to focus on," Clair told them.

"What is it?" Remus asked, wondering what could be more important than Zelts leaving.

"It's a mission from Solis. Recently a new gang of thieves has been trying to raid Nova and steel their dust crystal. He wants you to stop them."

Silver brought his hand to his chin and said, "That sounds like something the usual guard can take care of."

"You're right, but the town's guard forces are spread a little thin and they need a little assistance," Bianca told them.

"Solis knows how to pick the worst time to put us on the job," Violet commented.

"From the sounds of it, you can probably accomplish this in time for Zelts's departure. It's fine if you can't. We can be a little late," Clair reassured them. "Solis knows he is asking at a bad time, so he's offering to pay double your usual rate."

"That sounds good to me," Silver added with more pep in his voice, "Let's go!" He already started marching.

"Are sure this is okay?" Violet asked Zelts. "If you want, you can go now and we'll take care of it."

He shook his head then said, "Nah. I'll come. In a way, it's like VRSZ's last mission together. I can't miss that."

Violet's eyes grew wide. "VRSZ's Last Mission." She didn't want to hear those words or accept them. Doing so felt like admitting it was the end. These boys who barged into her life and started all of this…

It was the best thing that ever happened to her and now…

She felt tears well up in her eyes and she quickly turned away from Zelts. "Yeah, let's go," she said as she walked back into Nexus. Her head hung low as she walked. Remus noticed immediately and was quickly by her side. Violet refused to let the others see her momentary breakdown, but Remus was the exception. He held her in his arms as they returned home.

 **Setting: Nova**

The Fantasia was parked in the bustling settlement and Team VRSZ walked to Nova's border, searching and waiting for the raiders that were soon to come. The meeting with Solis was brief. The councilman informed the team which direction the bandits were coming from and how many there were. The mission didn't seem difficult nor did it sound like it would take too long. In fact, it was downright simple. So simple that anyone could accomplish it with minimal effort and it was for double pay.

"Why does Solis need us for this?" Violet asked her teammates aloud as they stood by Solis's southern borders, waiting for their prey to come to them. "There has to be some other reason he did this."

"Maybe he's trying to win your heart over again," Silver joked. Violet rolled her eyes and Remus furrowed his brow.

"I really don't like him," Remus commented with a sour face. Violet sighed and stared daggers and Silver.

Remus didn't like people who openly flirted with her. She thought it was cute of him to show hostility to someone. He rarely displayed that side of him so she wasn't worried about it like most people would be because she knew he had nothing to fret over. There was no one who was going to steal her away from him.

"Don't say that, Rey-Rey. He's harmless," Violet comforted him then looked to the others and said, "It still doesn't explain this job. What do you think, Zelts?"

"Hmm…" the Golden Wind pondered on her question. He thought about it for a moment but something seemed to break his concentration. "Looks like the mission's starting."

Violet and the others followed Zelts's line of sight and found some vehicles approaching from far away. There were at least six incoming vehicles with small groups of people riding them. Remus's bionic eye allowed him to scope the enemy to get a clear view of them.

"Twenty enemies. Armed with standard weapons. Nothing special or worth our concern," he told the others.

"Why on Remnant did Solis hire us for this?" Violet asked again. Solving this riddle felt like she could unravel a great mystery. An easy mission on the day of Zelts's departure… What did it mean?

"Remus," Violet called him then gave him a hand signal, telling him to intercept and disrupt the enemy. Her hand moved but another hand covered hers. She followed the arm up to the person and found Zelts stopping her. "What's wrong?"

"Not yet," was all he said.

"Uh, why?" she asked. Did he want to try something? If there was something he wanted to try, she'd allow him. Given this was their last mission together, she could let him cut loose or do whatever he wanted.

She waited for an answer and she noticed a smile on his face. " _What made him so happy?"_

"Cavalry's just arrived," he said.

Four figures dashed past Violet, Remus, and Silver. They were in front and moved toward the enemy. Though these four moved like a blur, their forms came into full view for team VRSZ. The 'cavalry' was their friends and former juniors, Cerise, Loden, Sapphire, and Hazel.

"How?" Silver wondered.

"When?" Violet asked.

"Yeah!" Remus added, excited to see his friends again. He didn't even wait for any kind of explanation and rushed in, joining CLSH in their assault. "Hey!" he shouted as a greeting.

"Hey Remus! Long time no see!" Sapphire shouted back with an intense, thrilling expression. She shot out her Spinneret cables to be ready for action. Hazel had her drones out and ready to heed her commands. Remus, Loden, and Cerise had their weapons at the ready.

The others were still standing in the same spot as they watched their unexpected friends take charge. Team CLSH's sudden appearance caught Violet and Silver completely off guard, yet they did note the only one who seemed aware of their presence was Zelts. The mission, the timing, the arrival of team CLSH…

"Did you plan all of this?" Silver asked Zelts one second before Violet could. It was her M.O. to solve things before the others and she lost… to Silver! As Silver questioned Zelts, Violet felt a little threatened by his rise in intelligence.

Zelts didn't hide it or try to deny it. "I wanted to find a way to say thank you to you all for everything. It wasn't what I pictured, but this was the best I could come up in such a short span of time. Solis was happy to help and CLSH wanted to say farewell in person. Mad?"

"Quite the opposite. I'm actually impressed you came up with this so quickly," Silver complimented.

Violet had to admit Zelts pulled one over her. This mission was completely unexpected and she was glad for it. The deception he created gave birth to the reunion of VRSZ and CLSH after many weeks. Zelts did this all in less than a night. He truly gave them a perfect parting gift.

She stepped forward and started running into the fray. "Come on, Silver! Let's enjoy Zelts's present. Can't let Remus and the girls have all the fun." The smile on her face could not be denied. She was beaming with joy. This truly was a great gift. She ran forward hearing the sound of footsteps from behind.

Hazel's wasp drones made first contact with the enemy. She commanded each drone to fire lasers at the tires of the makeshift cars. They fired small yet powerful blasts at the tires of the first three vehicles, making the veer out of control and the bandits riding inside were scattered around the area. The fourth vehicle was assaulted by Remus who ran straight toward it then slashed it in half with Delta. The bandits inside were sent flying as well. Some were hit by Remus's attack and others were not. A bandit from one of the remaining two vehicles had a firearm aimed at Remus and fired, shooting out a missile.

The projectile never reached its target as cables wrapped around it and pulled it off course. Sapphire held onto the missile with her Spinnerets as she danced around the area like she was a performer on a stage. The bandit that fired cursed and groaned until his complaints transitioned to screams of shock and fear. A large rock formation was erected beneath the vehicle. It was a large ramp that the bandits drove up and fell off once they reached the end. All of them screamed as their car fell from sixty feet in the air and crashed. Only a few of them crawled out from the wreckage and they were badly injured.

The final vehicle was still going, but the driver was having second thoughts once he saw how his comrades were taken out. Deeming this to be a mistake the driver turned round to flee, much to the complaints of the passengers, but they didn't go far. The car slammed into a wall. One crafted out of Cerise's aura. Shields prevented them from escaping.

"Nice work everyone!" Cerise congratulated her teammates with the air and confidence of a true Huntress. She watched everyone except Remus take their positions and issued the command for them to attack. "Hazel! Confuse and divide! Sapphire! Form a perimeter and scavenge! Loden! Decimate!"

All the girls went to work and Cerise was ready to assist Sapphire until she noticed Violet by her side. Neither of them needed to say anything. They shared a look and knew what to do. They entered the battle as a unified front, moving to the other end of the battlefield to prevent anyone from escaping.

The wasp drone darted through the air too fast for the bandits to land a shot. They fired relentlessly to shoot them down but were failing. The faunus girl remained by a rocky fort Loden created to keep her safe. She issued complex commands to her drones with speed and efficiency. There was no need to hesitate or be fearful anymore. With another command from the computer in her glasses, the drones started a rainstorm of laser blasts, bombarding any bandits that came their way. She broke the enemy's formation and had them moving in utter chaos.

What soon came after the laser blasts were gunshots as Silver assisted in scattering the enemy. He shot round after round of stone and ice dust to encase the bandits in stone and ice and prevented them from escaping. Three bandits came to attack him directly and Silver changed Fenrir to escrima sticks. The challenge failed to last a minute as Silver proceeded to beat their bodies with his twin sticks, leaving them bruised and unconscious. A fourth man was coming in to strike him from behind and Silver was prepared to counterattack but a laser shot from a drone struck the man down. He fell face forward in the sand and Silver turned to Hazel's position. He signaled 'thanks' then continued the fight.

"YEEEEEAAAAHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Remus and Sapphire were having the time of their lives, defeating opponents one by one like it was a game. Remus struck a man's face with a facepalm while another bandit moved in to attack him while he was occupied. The bandit swung hit blade and hit flesh, but the scream of pain was familiar to him. He looked up to see he attacked the other bandit. In their confusion, Remus ran straight through them, tackling them and knocking them in the air.

"Nice! That's Round Robin?!" Sapphire asked with an adrenaline high. She hooked her cables onto the bodies of two bandits then manipulated them like puppets. She used them to attack the other bandits who were confused about the sudden betrayal.

"Uh-huh. It's cool right?" Remus asked like a kid showing off a shiny new toy.

He split Delta into its shortsword and longsword form. He wield the shortsword backhanded then dashed to the enemy around Sapphire's pawns. They took out the stragglers or anyone trying to escape. Once they finished off the last bandit in the area, Sapphire removed her cables from the puppeteered bandits and Remus delivered two quick slashes to strike them down.

"You leveled up a lot. Sure you're not overleveled?" she teased.

"No way! Can't be," he responded with a smile then they continued their work elsewhere.

"You've gotten stronger," Zelts said as he conjured a windstorm with his wingblades scooping up as many bandits as he could. Standing in the middle of the vortex with him was Loden she held World Splitter in both her hands.

"I have to if I want to protect my team," she responded, keeping focus on the task at hand. She watched as the wind carried all the bandits above their heads then she slammed her naginata onto the sandy floor. A large spire of stone erupted and rose into the air ramming into all the bandits above. They fell around the elemental duo like rain.

Zelts was impressed with Loden. She was focused, wasted no extra movements, and used only what was necessary instead of relying on her raw, overwhelming power. Her response to his compliment also satisfied him. Another shield was being made. It wasn't for his team, but he was still proud of Loden. It felt like he was passing the torch down to the next generation.

"There are a few more left," Loden told Zelts, "Should we chase them?"

He looked over then said, "No need. They got it."

Small bandit groups realized their attempted raid was a failure and decided it was best to retreat. They ran away, abandoning their allies to save their own skin, but were stopped by a translucent wall. The walls kept them from advancing then they started moving, pushing all the bandits together and herding them onto one spot. All the walls came together and formed a cage that held fifteen of the bandits. As they frantically tried to escape, Violet and Cerise jumped over their heads. The duo threw Enigmas and Runaways at them from above. The throwing knives stuck to the ground and the cherry bombs just fell. Then, everything turned white. The ground beneath the bandits turned cold as solid thick ice covered them from their knees.

"Mission complete," Violet and Cerise said at the same time. Their union wasn't planned and both girls turned to each other after hearing the other. They laughed. Loudly and genuinely. Any doubts they couldn't mend their friendship departed their minds.

"It's so good to see all of you again," Violet said between laughs.

"I'm just glad Zelts called us. We'd never want to miss something this important," Cerise told her senior. "Does this mean you dealt with Ebony?"

That question made Violet cease her laughing. The manipulation of the Charming Vantablack ran deep in Vacuo. Not even team CLSH was left unharmed. How would they respond if they knew? She shook her head, refusing to think that way. If their bond was to be whole again, they needed to tell them the truth. "I'll tell you all about it later. Let's just tell Solis the good news then we can…"

"Yeah, I know," Cerise said as she took hold of Violet's arm and escorted her back to the others.

It was finally time to say goodbye.

 **Setting: Nexus**

The engine of the airship purred. It was ready to take off anytime. All of Zelts's luggage was on board. He packed the items he needed and left a few things behind, wanting some form of himself to remain in his old home for the others. The only item he had on his person was his Heart of Gold on his back.

He stood in front of the airship and looked to the sky. It was blue and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Perfect weather for flying. No chance of delays or setbacks.

"..." Zelts felt the urge to say something, but the words were lost on him. Was he supposed to say something? He didn't know.

"Zelts!" Hazel called out.

He turned around to see CLSH, VRSZ, and everyone standing before him. All of them came to send him off. Knowing he made so many friends that cared about him warmed his heart and struck him to his very core. Zelts took a deep breath. It was holding back to sorrow.

The first to approach him was C.P. and Onyx. The two Vantablack men wished him luck and safe travels. He thanked them then begged them not to create another Monochrome for some quick cash, gaining a laugh from everyone. Next were the members of the council. Solis, Percy, Carmine, and Chartreuse gave him their regards and told them he was always welcome in their respective settlements. Percy offered him and Lily a free room in a suite in Oasis and Chartreuse said if they ever needed transport to Vacuo by sea, she was always available to ferry them.

Zelts said his goodbyes to Ghost and Bianca next. He asked them to keep Silver in check, knowing the gunslinger was hopeless without certain supervision. They agreed, much to Silver's dismay. The two siblings thanked him for being there for them. After them was Azura who walked up to Zelts and placed her fist on his chest. She wasn't one for hugs and he figured this was the closest thing to a hug he'll ever get. Before he could say anything, she made him a promise.

"I know what you're going to say so save it. Remus is just as pathetic as Silver on his own... It's fine. I'll be his shield from now on."

She was right. Everything she said was exactly what he was going to say. Zelts chuckled, thanking Azura for her words. "With you watching over him, there's absolutely nothing about. Thank you, Azura. See you later." He walked away from her and she watched him go. Azura's face and disposition didn't change, but deep in her heart, she knew she was going to miss him.

Next up were the members of Team CLSH. Thinking back to how they first met and everything they've done together made Zelts feel proud of them. They grew so quickly in such a short span of time, yet it felt like a decade to him. He currently felt more like a proud father than an older brother, separating from his children once they were capable of living on their own. It pulled at his heartstrings.

While he was in his own thoughts he was caught by surprise when all four girls jumped onto him. They embraced him in a massive hug. The sudden movement of restriction of his body caused Zelts to stumble a little before getting a steady stance. When he did, he could hear sniffling. Then he remembered this was still a sad scene. His arms came around as much as they could to encircle the girls. Hazel and Cerise were against his chest with the former already having tears running down her face. Cerise was doing her best to hold them back. Her face showed she was struggling to do so. Sapphire and Loden were on the outside. Loden's eyes welled up as she smiled at him and Sapphire was laughing. It was her only defense against crying during difficult times.

The pain of departure finally hit Zelts as he felt his eyes water.

"I'm so proud of each and every one of you. Watching you grow and get stronger has been one of the high points of my time in Vacuo." Hearing him say those words broke Sapphire as she stopped laughing and started sniveling. There wasn't a dry eye in the group. "Don't stop getting stronger and striving for your dreams. And be sure to give the rest of VRSZ a run for their money. None of them have the luxury of slacking off while I'm gone, you hear?"

"Yeah," Cerise responded.

"O-of course," Loden replied.

"No problem," Sapphire said, trying to be as cheerful as she can be.

"Take care, Zelts. We'll miss you," Hazel said through the tears.

They broke apart to let Zelts continue with his farewell. " _Only four people left,"_ he thought.

The next person was Clair de Lune Vantablack. She stood there with an alluring smile on her face. That same mystifying grace of hers that veiled her true feelings and confounded everyone. Zelts wasn't sure what was going on in her head and he didn't plan to play games. All he needed to do was say his parting words. He approached her and she hugged him tightly with him doing the same. There was no reason for her to hide anything.

"I'm going to miss you so much. Be sure to call whenever you feel like it. Here's a CCD," she gave him the small device, placing it in his pocket. "And you better drop by every now and then, you hear me?"

"Of course. It's not like I'll be gone forever. I plan on visiting," he replied.

"Good, Be sure to bring Lily. I'd love to see her again," Clair said as she ended the hug. With her face in view, he could see the tears on her cheeks, yet there was still a smile. Sorrowful joy. Zelts let her go with an aching heart as he marched on.

Now came the hardest part of this whole process. Zelts came face to face with Violet, Remus, and Silver. He took a deep breath before making his way to his greatest friends. Words could not be enough to express how much he loved them and was so grateful to them. His heart was beginning to tremble and started to wonder how he was going to do this. He couldn't even come up with a solution as they approached him. Silver clasped a hand on Zelts's shoulder, taking him out of his thoughts.

"I heard you talking with Clair. You better come back and say hi," Silver said with a smile and backed away as the others came forward.

Remus came up first and Zelts was about to say something, but he didn't have the chance as Remus stepped in and gave him a big hug. "Mmmm...mmmmm..." Remus's words were inaudible as he mumbled.

"Uh, I'm sorry?" Zelts had no idea what he said.

"Mmm...mmmm..mmmph..."

Zelts raised an eyebrow and looked at Violet. Her eyes were red and her small smile made it obvious why Remus was acting this way. She turned to Silver who had his back to everyone. Though Zelts couldn't see his face, he saw the shaking of his shoulders, the trembling of his back, and listened to his haggard breathing. The gunslinger had an arm raised to his face and Zelts guessed why. His actions also told Zelts why Remus refused to speak up and why he felt tears well up too.

Saying goodbye was never easy.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Remus blurted out, "I'm...really going to miss you, Zelts…"

"...I know," Zelts said as he hugged his friend back. Tears already fell from his eyes. "Do me a favor. Never stop getting stronger. Make sure you're strong enough you don't have to worry about me not being there. But don't focus only on getting stronger. There's more to life than fighting."

"Professor Lupa says the same thing. I will. When you get there, could you tell her how well I'm doing? Please?" Remus asked as his tears stained Zelts's shirt.

"Of course I will." The two stayed that way for a while until Remus backed away. Zelts was surprised to realize he was the one lingering, refusing to break the hug, but he did. It had to happen.

Violet was next. She placed a hand on Remus as he walked by and kissed his cheek, before walking to Zelts. They didn't hug as she looked at him with a smile then said, "Remember when we first formed VRSZ and you guys made me the leader without my consent? During that time, I thought you should've been the leader."

Zelts shook his head. "If I had, there's no way we'd be where we are now. Everything that has happened till now was because we had you leading us. And it's because of you I can say this. Thank you. Because of you, I can live this life and be with the one I love. I'll never forget the debt I owe you. All of you."

Her body shook uncontrollably as she covered her mouth with her hand. It was too late to stop the tears from flowing, but Violet refused to wail in sadness. Zelts watched her as he silently wept. Saying those words were devastating because of how heartfelt they were. He truly felt indebted to her, Remus, and Silver.

She gained control of her voice and said, "You don't owe us anything. There are no debts among friends…" Violet hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her. They embraced each other with all their emotions laid bare. They separated and stared at each other for a while. Violet smiled and he did in kind.

She turned her head to look at Silver and he did the same. The man was still crying in silence and solitude. He didn't want to look so pathetic in front of his friend, wanting nothing but the best for Zelts. He didn't feel like he could do that in his current state.

" _Fuck. Pull yourself together you idiot!"_ He told himself, but the tears kept coming. " _Shit!"_

It was impossible for him to stop and he didn't want to face Zelts like this. Suddenly, he felt a large, familiar hand on his shoulder. "This isn't goodbye forever. I promise to come and visit," Zelts reassured him.

"...Yeah…" Silver said but his voice was shaky and on the verge of cracking. "And we'll be sure to visit you too."

"You better. Bring Bianca with you too. We can double date."

"..." Silver didn't say a thing. He wiped his eyes again then turned to face Zelts who smiled. The Silver-Tongued Gunslinger was an ugly crier. "Listen. I was joking yesterday when I talked about replacing you."

"I know," Zelts assured him.

"No, you don't," Silver raised his fist in front of Zelts. "No matter where you are or what you're doing… We're always a team. We'll always have you back."

"You're right," Zelts matched Silver's fist and bumped it, "Team VRSZ isn't going anywhere."

Silver's face was puffy and his eyes were red, but he smiled nonetheless. Zelts was glad he had a friend like Silver by side for these past few years. "So, are you getting on board or not? Can't keep Lily waiting."

"I know," Zelts responded with a chuckle. "I've kept her waiting for the longest time."

"Go live the life you deserve," Silver told him, "Get your happily ever after."

"I will."

The gold and silver duo finished their conversation and it was time for Zelts to leave Nexus. He boarded the airship while the others watched. Clair and Ghost were the pilots and they got everything prepared for their journey. Zelts took a seat by the window, making sure he had a good view of everyone.

Getting on the airship reminded him of how it all started from here. He and Silver first met each other, then fought Violet and Remus, and began this incredible adventure. His thoughts were in the past. They had their fair share of trouble but he would trade it for anything. The Golden Wind had no regrets about how he lived his life with them.

The airship's engine roared and he could feel the vehicle move.

 _"Violet, Remus, Silver. Thank you,"_

The airship was rising and everyone on the ground started waving and praying Zelts's life with Lily would be spectacular. No one left the area until the airship flew out of sight. When it was gone they returned to Nexus until the only ones remaining were the other members of VRSZ.

The tears that once filled their eyes were gone and their hearts, once filled with dread, were optimistic. All of them wished nothing but the best for their friend.

"It's time we go home," Violet told Remus and Silver. All three of them slowly walked back to their home with smiles.

"Is it okay with you guys if I turn Zelts's old room into a trophy room? I haven't taken any spoils of war from our mission in a long- Ow!" Silver joked then he received a punch in the arm from Remus who grinned as he did it.

Violet laughed, knowing it he said in humor, then said, "Too soon, Silvester. Too soon."

 **Setting: Open Seas**

The airship flew over the vast ocean and a passenger looked at the water below. It was a peaceful sight that could lull many to sleep or make those unaccustomed seasick. Seeing most of what life had to offer in such a short time left this person feeling the former until a voice started booming around the airship's halls.

"Zinnia! Get over here!" Ebony shouted.

The Paragon sighed and rose from her seat. She walked into the common area where she found the Charming Vantablack and the Bedazzled Behemoth. Alexandrite was laying on the entire couch while Ebony was in the kitchen, going over the contents in her refrigerator.

"What do you need?" she asked Ebony.

"I wanted to ask if we need any certain clearance to get into Mistral. Atlas has a base there and you're still a member of their military, so I thought these kinds of details were important to ask about."

"Specialists have several privileges other officers do not. Entering secure territory is one of them," she answered but her eyes trailed to Alexandrite who was eating an eight-ounce piece of meat with just a fork. "I can't believe you kept her hidden here."

Alexandrite heard Zinnia and eyed her while chewing a large chunk of meat. Her eye color changed from yellow to jade. It wasn't an appealing sight.

"Sorry, but with Brenton gone and Monochrome destroyed, we were in need of some extra muscle. And look at her! She's jacked!" Alexandrite flexed an arm to prove Ebony's point. They were sort of getting along. Zinnia didn't like that.

"But it's not like we'll be continuing what we did in Vacuo. We made a promise to Lady Clair."

"And we won't. Our work in Mistral we'll take an entirely different approach. Still, there might be some opposition that will require action. Alexandrite is perfect for dealing with it while you recover." Saying that only made Zinnia feel bad about her injuries. She couldn't deny Ebony had a point. There was very little she could do with a broken arm.

"Making peace isn't always peaceful," Alexandrite stated between bites. Profound as those words were to Zinnia, she felt they sounded wrong coming out of her mouth.

Ebony cupped Alexandrite's face like a dog and said, "See how smart she is? How can I not invite her?" She rubbed the Behemoth's cheeks filled with meat and dotted on her. Alexandrite did nothing to retaliate. As long as she was fed and could fight, she'd stick with Ebony.

Zinnia sighed. Brenton helped her reign in Ebony's idiosyncrasies, but he was gone now. This was going to be a new challenge for her. She pinched the bridge of her nose until she felt a hand grab her other hand and yank her forward. Ebony brought her to the common area with Alexandrite and put their hands together.

"This is the start of a new story, girls! Let's make sure it'll be one Remnant will never forget!"

Ebony Vantablack and her Champions were set. Ebony's airship soared through the sky with Mistral as its destination. What adventures awaited the three of them were a complete mystery.

 **Setting: Patch**

Standing outside a cabin was Lily. The young woman waited outside for her beloved to arrive. She knew when he was coming, but spent most of the day outside just in case his airship flew in early. The sun was setting and the sky held a picture-perfect color of orange and pink with clouds filling the space to make it look divine. The anticipation made her heart drum like a jackhammer. It was finally time to put their past trauma aside and live the life they've always dreamed of.

" _Any minute now. He'll be here,"_ she thought with a hopeful expression.

And as if responding to her inner desire, the airship arrived. It flew above the trees and landed in a clearing near her home. Lily couldn't wait any longer as she rushed to the landing spot. She wanted the distance between her and Zelts to disappear once and for all. The airship's engine was silent and the boarding bay opened. Walking off of it was Zelts who made eye contact with Lily before he too started dashing to her.

Clair and Ghost watched from the cockpit as the two lovers collided, holding each other in their arms. It was a romantic sight and it made Clair want to call Evergreen once this was over. Ghost planned on reconnecting with Sapphire when they returned home. They've been separated from each other longer than they wished.

Zelts and Lily said nothing as they held each other. Saying things like, 'I miss you' or 'I'm glad you're here' felt unnecessary. Each knew what the other felt and desired. Zelts looked at her with warm eyes and he could see the same in hers. There was one phrase Lily knew she had to say once he came to her.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

The distance between them closed as they kissed, staying that way for a long time. It was the beginning of their peaceful life together.

Ghost and Clair continued to observe until the former asked, "Should we-" but Clair placed a finger on his lips to stop him.

"There's nothing else to say. Let them live their life."

The airship rose and flew away while the two lovers kissed each other deeply until Lily pulled herself away from him. She held his hand and guided him to her… their home. Zelts followed, ready to share his life with her.

As they reached the door, Zelts stopped. There was something he had to do. He grabbed his Heart of Gold and placed it by the front door, leaning it against the wall. The gleam of the setting sun shined on it as he and Lily entered the house. He no longer needed to have his shield by his side. The setting sun's light shined brightly on Heart of Gold until it fell past the horizon.

Today ended and tomorrow was the beginning of a new life for Zelts, Violet, Silver, Remus, for everyone.

 **Team VRSZ Series: The End**

* * *

 **Finishing this chapter was the hardest thing I've ever had to do because it meant the end of the VRSZ series. It's been four years and I never thought what started as a small project would grow to something this big. I just want to thank every person who has read this series even if it was once or they've been with VRSZ for the long haul. And a special thanks to LinxBento and GraceKim20. Words cannot express how overjoyed I am with this the ending of this story.**


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